As The Last Candle Burns
by Falling Right Side-Up
Summary: UPDATED: Jan 1, 2009 - Naruto will do anything to save the future and the people in it, even if it means going back to the very beginning. “For all my precious people…for you, Kakashi. I’ll do it for you.” /Kakashi x Naruto/ It's true, chapter 3 is up!
1. Before the Light Goes Out

**REVISED AGAIN NOV 10TH, 2005!**

**Timeline has been switched and ages have been adjusted. Naruto returned to Konoha when he was 15 and became ANBU at 16. Konoha was attacked a second time by the Sound when he was 19. Now he is 21.**

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Title: **As the Last Candle Burns

**Author:** Falling Right Side-Up

**Category/Rating:** Action Adventure/Romance; PG-13 (May become an R)

**Pairing:** Kakashi x Naruto

**Summary: **Things weren't supposed to end up this way…Too much destruction, too much death. In a ravaged future, Naruto watches as his precious people are taken away, one by one. He has one hope, one joy, and it's about to fade.

**DISCLAIMERS:** No, I do not own Naruto or anything related to the manga and anime.

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**AN:** OH MY GOD! I never knew this fic would be so popular! You guys make me so happy! Anyways, enjoy!

Yes, this is one of those **"time-traveling"** fics that seem to be popping up everywhere. I liked the idea, so sue me. No, don't. I like my money, thank you very much.

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**STORY NOTES:**

Naruto's _'thoughts'_

Kyuubi **speech**

_(…Flashback scenes…)

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**As The Last Candle Burns**

By: Falling Right Side-Up

_Prologue_

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He had to make it.

A lone injured ANBU raced through the forest, exhaustion apparent as his movements became duller and uncoordinated. His uniform had long been torn and drenched with sweat, grime, and blood; it was an unavoidable occurrence with the constant battles he went through. Blood of his enemies. Blood of his comrades. Naruto grimaced bitterly as he continued to leap through the trees, his keen sapphire eyes guiding his path through the destruction in the dark.

He'd been running non-stop for three hours. Three hours since he'd last seen his squad fighting to hold off the enemies so that he could secure the mission. Three hours since he'd left them behind with a silent nod of acknowledgement for his comrades in arms. Three hours since he'd known that he'd never see them alive again.

Two years ago, such a thing would have been incomprehensible to the blond shinobi. But times changed and a lot had happened in six years. There had been too many deaths. Too many sacrifices. Too much…needlessness.

To the side, his eyes caught a glimpse of a large worn down construct. What had been high cement walls was nothing but corroding debris littering the cold ground. Further inwards was a graveyard. The death-bed of Konohakagure. He rushed right past it without a lingering glance.

That place wasn't his home anymore.

Its familiarity and comforting existence had been wiped out two years ago with the Sound's second assault upon the recuperating Village of Konohakagure. Despite the shinobis' best efforts, it hadn't been enough. Despite his nearly three year training journey with Jiraiya, it had been a complete slaughter. Too many had fallen under enemy hands. Where had his boastful strength and supposed invincibility been, then?

'_If only I was stronger.'_

For as long as he could remember, his outspoken goal as a shinobi had been to become the Hokage and gain the respect and acknowledgement of Konoha. However, trial after trial during his growth caused him to re-prioritize his goals. Then and now, his foremost goal was to protect his precious people.

Yet, as hard as he tried, they kept slipping through his fingers.

Like glittering grains of sand, no matter how tightly he gripped his hands together, there was always some unnoticeable crack or opening from whence the sand trickled out. It started out as one grain, then two, figuratively unnoticeable but tragic as the grains became lost on the dirty ground. Each loss leaving a tremendous emptiness within him, for Naruto had precious few to begin with.

Now, only three remained. And all of them had long lost their glitter. Too much had happened for them to remain unchanged. Battle hardened and weary of the constant look-out for enemies, happiness was a long forgotten commodity.

Naruto's eyes narrowed in pain, both physical and emotional. With the departure of the Kyuubi after an untimely confrontation with the Akatsuki, he no longer had the unlimited supply of chakra he had once been famous for. Having survived the ordeal was a blessing in itself, only made possible by the kitsune's fondness for him. The other Jinchuuriki hadn't been as fortunate, he thought grimly.

Although the Youma had left him a small portion of its monstrous power before returning to the demon realm once more, it simply wasn't enough. It was enough to survive, yes, but not enough to save the people that mattered. Though the blond supposed it was better than allowing the Kyuubi to have been captured by the bastards, he couldn't deny he sorely missed the ancient presence of the kitsune.

But right now, his chakra reserves were dangerously low and his body was nearing its limits. _'Concentrate. You can't afford to be distracted by sentimental thoughts.'_ Exhaustion was creeping up to his eyes, making his vision hazy and distorted. But he pushed on. They were waiting for him. His precious people.

He glanced down worriedly through the animal mask at the invaluable cargo secured within the pocket of his pants. The scroll, he thought with a hint of desperation, was his last hope. Their last hope.

Failure, the word grated against his mind, was not acceptable. Not then, especially not now. He had given them his word, and had taken to heart the fact that he would never take back his word, no matter the price. After all, that was his nindo.

* * *

She hated waiting.

Constant fighting, ambushes, traitors, torture, and death, she could deal with. All of them were nerve-wrecking and painful, but this… Tsunade couldn't stand waiting. Waiting compliantly in a make-shift tent, protected by the last of the remaining ANBU escorts while one of the people she cared for the most was out risking his life just to come back safely to her.

Waiting, unknowing if he was hurt or worse, dead. Dreading the fact that she was to blame for sending him out on such a perilous mission, and hating that it was not the first of its kind she had sent him on.

She sighed, placing her head in her hands with her elbows on her knees as she sat on a small cushion on the ground. Tsunade had tried justifying her actions to herself, knowing that there was just no one else she could have sent. Everyone was either KIA already or they were injured and unable to endure such a high risk mission. But that didn't make her feel any better.

Naruto will come back, she thought fiercely. He always came back, no matter how impossible the situation seemed. He completed mission after mission, never once complaining at the lack of rest or difficulty despite the horror, the pain, and the endless darkness that threatened to consume them. But how long could he keep it up?

Even with the Kyuubi gone, it was undeniable that Naruto was one of the strongest and most durable shinobis to ever live. Even so, she had no desire to offer him as a sacrificial lamb just because he could take more damage; the very thought sickened her. But what could she do when the boy – he would always be a boy to her – himself insisted on it? She bit her lip in frustration.

Lifting her head, her tired eyes gazed listlessly around the tent. The blankets, cushions, and desk were all worn from the constant moves during the last seven years. After the second attack on Konohakagure by the Sound, they had to abandon their once lively home, forced to wander as nomads in the fire country. The opportunity to settle permanently had never come around as the continuous ambushes increased.

Home was no longer a place. It resided amongst the people that were left. And that number was decreasing everyday. Day by day, home became smaller, colder, harsher and…darker.

Six years had taken its toll on the people and shinobi of Konoha. The livelihood that had once been a towering flame began to blow out against the force of a howling and unrelenting wind. They were but a small collection of candles now. And even then, their meager flames were constantly flickering, in danger of being snuffed out.

Tsunade herself was nearing her end. If not mortally in body, than at least in mind and spirit. She knew; she could feel it. Everyday, they were losing ground, losing lives, losing hope… And she just kept sending them to their death, she thought cynically. It didn't matter that the missions were necessary. Didn't the lives of her subordinates matter more, especially since there were so few left?

No, she couldn't doubt herself now, she thought resolutely. It was far too into the game to do that. Now, their lives accounted to an all or nothing gamble of chance, irrational hope and faith. Upon the object of Naruto's mission.

Would he make it? He had to, he had to, he had to. But even the former container of the Kyuubi had his limits; he wasn't invincible. How long would he keep burning, especially when the fuel to his fire was fading away? Had been fading away for a long time.

She glanced mournfully through the flimsy material of her tent to gaze at the shadowed outline of another tent beside hers. It was Naruto's tent, which currently housed another occupant within it. The occupant? None other than her fellow deceased, Toad-Sannin's perverted accomplice, Hatake Kakashi.

Her eyes lit with brief amusement before fading into sorrow once more. The silver-haired jounin had been an unexpected addition to Naruto's love life. With Naruto's constant need to prove that he was the best in everything, she had never imagined that he would seek comfort in the older, wiser, and clearly more dominant male.

In the onslaught of danger and despair, the two had found a peculiar solace within one another. And even in the midst of death and flurry of battles, their love had flared. But now, gone were the happy moments, overshadowed by the unalterable fate that awaited the infamous Copy-Ninja.

Slowly but surely, Kakashi was dying.

* * *

He was going to kill the dobe.

Pacing back and forth in the clearing of the make-shift camp site, Uchiha Sasuke swore under his breath. His Sharingan eyes flashed angrily into the foliage before him, trying to pin point any sign of his team-mate's return. His hair was unkempt and his right arm was in a sling, an injury from the previous mission he had accompanied Naruto on.

How dare he, the raven-haired young man fumed. How dare the dobe leave him at the camp-site? Sasuke didn't care that he was injured, he could damn well do a mission whether anyone else thought he could or not. And to add insult to the injury, the blond shinobi had tied him up and tossed him into his tent before rushing off to participate in the latest mission.

He growled, unable to express his frustration and worry in any other way that was not destructive. He should have been allowed to go. His place was in battle beside his last remaining childhood comrade, friend, and brother, not stuck as an invalid going insane with anxiety.

He would have gone after the fool, if not for the express command from his Hokage that he should stay put. Didn't they know he needed to be out there? Out where there was nothing to think about besides the adrenaline and the fear? Out where he wouldn't be able to feel the constant anguish of emptiness in his heart?

His eyes furrowed in pain as he clenched his teeth. Why wouldn't they let him go and exact revenge? Didn't they want vengeance for their comrades? For their loved ones? He clutched his chest in agony at the memory of a certain pink-haired kunoichi. Haruno Sakura, once a silly little girl obsessed with romance that had grown into a formidable kunoichi and medic. His childhood teammate, partner, confidant, lover and wife.

With the help of Sakura and Naruto, he'd been able to draw himself out of the darkness after being ensnared within Orochimaru's influence. When he had finally realized his foolishness, they had been waiting for him with open arms and he had let himself fall into them. Let them support him; let them get him back on his feet.

He had finally accepted Sakura's undying love. He had finally attained something akin to true happiness. And then he had lost it all when she was ripped from his grasp and robbed of life by the one man he hated beyond comprehension.

Uchiha Itachi.

It hadn't been enough for the bastard to massacre his clan. When it had appeared that Sasuke had let go of his fixation on him, the missing-nin had returned and struck him where it hurt.

Already, Sasuke was nearing the end of his sanity from the simple knowledge that he hadn't been able to protect the one woman he loved. It had happened so fast that he hadn't been able to dwell on it. From her battered and bloodied appearance, the gruesome injuries, and the taunting symbol of the Uchiha clan carved pristinely into her bare chest, it had been piercingly obvious what had happened.

There had been no delayed reaction. There had been no extended period of denial. He had known in that instant that she was dead, and he had known exactly who had caused it.

Sasuke bit out a particularly vicious snarl at the thought of the man. There was more than enough anger for Itachi to go around. As if targeting him and Sakura hadn't been enough, the bastard had selected another victim.

At the end of final battle against the Akatsuki, very few of its members had survived the Kyuubi's wrath. Unfortunately, Uchiha Itachi was one of the few that hadn't had the grace to just die. And to make the matter worse, his near death at the hands of the youma and its container had done nothing to deter his fixation. The only change was that the missing-nin's obsession with the Kyuubi had grown into a sickly infatuation for Naruto instead. A destructive affection that had added to Naruto's unending pain.

After the annihilation of his organization, Itachi had begun to work towards his goal of obtaining the blond shinobi by force. With the failure of several direct attempts to capture Naruto, the bastard had taken an alternate route, which was to kill what he thought was the one obstacle standing in his way: Kakashi.

Sasuke shook his head. He would _never_ forget what had happened.

_(…Sasuke sighed tiredly as he passed inspection at the outer perimeter of headquarters after completing yet another espionage mission with his squad. He turned around to debrief his subordinates before dismissing them when a sudden uproar accompanied by frantic shouts distracted him. The raven-haired man paused bemusedly and dismissed his squad, telling them to report to him later and briskly made his way to the source of the commotion._

_On his way, he snatched onto the arm of a passing medic, "What's going on?" _

"_Hatake-san was found just a while ago," the woman responded distractedly. _

_Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Found? He hadn't even been aware the other jounin had been missing. As if sensing his confusion, the medic explained, "It happened while you were on your mission, Uchiha-san. Hatake-san's squad reported him missing when they returned but found him a couple hours later." _

"_Hn," the ANBU captain responded. He let go of the medic's arm and turned away at a brisk walk when she spoke up once again._

"_You knew him personally, did you not, Uchiha-san?" Sasuke stopped and gave a small nod over his shoulder. The medic frowned. "Then you might want to hurry," her voice was grave. He stared at her blankly. _

_Her eyes clouded briefly with a far off look before pinning him with sharpened eyes. "I've seen a lot of bad cases..." the medic turned around, heading the opposite direction. "…and he's by far the worst," she finished grimly. _

_He watched her walk away with a contemplative stare. Though Sasuke felt slightly more urgent, he didn't think Kakashi was in as bad of a state as the woman implied. After all, the man had been his sensei when he was younger. The pervert wasn't a pushover. _

_Just as he was about to turn away, he heard the medic call out to him again. "He fought against Uchiha Itachi." Sasuke's head snapped back with wide eyes but she had already disappeared. _

_H__e snarled and dashed towards the Hokage's tent. With his traitorous brother as part of the equation, the result couldn't have been anything but gruesome. In which case he knew Tsunade was the only one who could even __**hope**__ to repair the damage. And if Kakashi or Tsunade was involved, Naruto would be as well. _

_Sure enough, as he tore open the flap of the tent and searched amidst the flurry of activity, he spotted the bright hair of his blond companion off to the side. Quickly, Sasuke made his way over to Naruto from behind and gently grabbed the shorter man's shoulder, squeezing it with concern. _

"_Naruto?" he questioned softly. The blond didn't respond. Frowning, Sasuke gently turned the other man around to face him. He cringed. "Naruto," he spoke firmly, searching for some semblance of awareness within the blankness of his comrade's usually expressive eyes. _

_Sighing, he peered over the unresponsive man's shoulder in order to catch a glimpse of his former sensei's condition. The battle hardened Uchiha had to stop himself from recoiling at the sight. He fought against Itachi, my ass, the raven-haired man's thoughts raged. It had been nothing but torture. That much was devastatingly clear. _

_Sasuke was kept from dwelling on the dark thoughts as Naruto suddenly jerked himself free from his arms. The blond shinobi brushed passed him without a word, ignorant of the shouted insults of those he bumped into as he stalked out of the tent. Shaking the momentary surprise off, the raven-haired man pursued his companion. _

_Once outside, Sasuke watched in silent concern as Naruto's distraught figure stumbled through the crowd of people and into the vacated field beyond. The Uchiha searched his mind for something – anything – to say, but the words refused to be spoken. Even with the loud sounds of medical jutsus behind him, he felt he had just walked under a blanket of morose and damning silence. _

_Silence. That alone told Sasuke something was horribly wrong. _

_Sasuke was not a sentimental man, but considering the circumstances, he partly expected nature to resonate with his companion's pain. The wind should have been howling with fury instead of the gentle caress it was now. It should have been cold to reflect the emotional barrenness. It should have been raining in order to mask the silent tears._

_Instead, Naruto stood isolated within the vibrant colors of the blooming field, with his golden hair shining even brighter with the reflection of the sun. Sasuke thought the scenery felt especially cruel; nature's indifference seemed to heighten the sense of loss and abandonment that surrounded the blond shinobi. _

_And so, Sasuke continued the vigil over his comrade, offering his presence as a small comfort although he was almost sure that Naruto was unaware of anything but his own grief. The raven-haired man even felt a sense of relief when the blond finally broke his eerie silence and continued to express his pain with low keening wails and broken sobs. _

_When people – people who had callously ignored and belittled Naruto - began to gather at the edges of the field, Sasuke observed them with a sense of smug vengeance as their expressions became marred with guilt and sorrow. 'See?' He wanted to snarl at them. 'Do you finally see the truth? He's no monster. He feels happiness. He feels love. He feels pain. Even more than you do. More than anyone of us will.'_

_Perhaps what struck everyone the most were not the anguished cries, but that fact that the usually hyperactive ninja had not moved once during his grieving. From the beginning, the blond had remained standing, his arms limp at his side, and his face lifted up towards the heavens with an expression of utter helplessness. _

_Helplessness. To those who knew him and of his constant struggles against his unfair lot in life, that was a word they would never have thought to be associated with the blond shinobi. What would their fates come to when the one person they had thought unbreakable was suddenly…broken? _

_And through it all, Naruto remained ensnared within the tumultuous chaos of his emotions, ignorant of the others' mounting fears and doubts. He didn't care that his grieving was undignified for a shinobi of his station. He didn't care that everyone was observing his greatest moment of weakness. He was beyond all thought or reason. _

_Uzumaki Naruto was afraid._

_He had never felt so powerless. It scared him._

_And it scared others when they realized he was scared….) _

Sasuke chuckled bitterly. When news of Kakashi's recovery had reached their ears, they had been elated…until the recovery was discovered to be only physical.

Itachi had the most malicious sense of humor and retribution. Nothing Tsunade or any other medic-nin had done revived Kakashi from his coma. Yet, as if taunting their unsuccessful efforts, the jounin would periodically awaken with a few spare moments of lucidity before drifting off again. It became a vicious cycle of getting something, and then having it taken away again, and again, and again.

And so Naruto waited, and waited, and waited by the jounin's side when he wasn't completing a mission, desperately awaiting the few moments of his consciousness. Just those few moments where he could smile lovingly and bravely for the jounin's sake, renewing their vows of love over and over.

But recently, Kakashi had been waking up less and less. The periods in between grew longer and the jounin began to rapidly deteriorate before their eyes. He was dying, and there was nothing they could do. For Sasuke, the death of his loved one had happened too fast to plague his mind with "what ifs." But Naruto, with the reminder of his failure right before his eyes, had ample time to do so. Weighed down by the pain, guilt, and regret, Naruto faded away day by day.

Sasuke, who had once believed that Naruto was an ever glowing ball of light, had begun to doubt many things. What was so important about Naruto's latest mission? Would a scroll really help them win the war? What were the chances of them surviving? And if they did, was there anything to go back to? If not, what was all this for?

His furious pacing had slowed down to a sullen trudge back and forth. What was the use of expending such energy when there was nothing to apply it to but anger?

The sound of movement amongst the trees caused Sasuke to stop his train of thought and peer sharply into the forest. Someone was coming. The chakra signals were so weak that he wasn't able to identify who was approaching. He settled into a defensive stance, as did the ANBUs behind him. And with bated breath, they silently awaited the intruder.

A lean battered figure staggered out from the underbrush, collapsing on his knees with ragged breaths before lifting a wounded arm to deliver a mock salute. Something only one person Uchiha knew did to this day.

"Naruto!" Sasuke shouted, rushing to the injured ANBU's side, the others behind him quick to follow. Carefully, he untied the fox mask from the blond's face, supporting him with an arm around his waist. He cursed at the sight of the grievous wounds that were spilling blood.

"You, moron! You should have taken me with you! You're not indestructible anymore! Damn fur-ball is gone!" He shouted fearfully in concern.

"Hehe, sorry, Sasuke. You know how I like the spotlight. Besides," Naruto wheezed, "I'm fine," he trailed off, thinking about his squad that he had left behind.

"Naruto!" A frantic female voice cried from across the clearing. The blond lifted his tired eyes to see an upset Tsunade running towards them. From her expressions, he could tell that she was angry and going frantic between her concern for him and the mission. A sharp feeling of guilt tightened in his chest as he saw her haggard appearance. He hadn't meant to make her worry so much.

"Ano sa, Ano sa, I did it, Obaa-san!" He declared with as much cheer as he could muster, fishing in his pocket for the scroll. He pulled it out and handed it to her with a weary smile.

"You, brat!" She spat with tears in her eyes, tucking the scroll into her robes before lifting a startled Naruto into her arms.

"Ano, Obaa-san, I can still walk! Besides, I'm too big to be carried, I'm twenty-one! Lemme go!" He protested, concerned for the old woman's welfare.

"Shut up, gaki! I may be old but I'm not senile!" Her voice was gruff, but she was smiling. Sasuke allowed a smirk to pull at his lips as he followed the squabbling pair. He gave a sharp nod to the ANBUs, dismissing them before entering the Hokage's tent.

Inside, he found Naruto lying on a cot, eerily silent as Tsunade treated his wounds. Their faces were downcast and pensive. He stiffened at the tense atmosphere. What was going on? Shouldn't they be happy? The mission was a success and Naruto was back. He stood quietly in the corner, waiting for the other two to break the silence. It didn't happen until the last of the blond's wound were treated, and even then, the silence stretched for a few moments more.

It was the Hokage who took the initiative. "Report, Uzumaki Naruto," she commanded in a stern voice, but it was evident that she was worried by the emotion in her eyes. Naruto refused to look up and didn't answer right away.

"Break in, success. Retrieval, success." Naruto spoke without looking up, his voice clipped and bitter. "Position compromised. Engaged enemy. Enemy status, unknown. Squad status, unknown," he paused for a weary breath. "But either way, there's too many fucking casualties."

Tsunade nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry, Naruto." The blond shinobi waved off the apology, getting up from the cot and walking towards the exit.

"It's okay, Tsunade baa-chan. I'm used to it," he shrugged carelessly, even though it was obvious to the two other occupants that he wasn't used to it. He never would be. "I'm gonna go see Kakashi, m'kay?" he left without waiting for their responses.

* * *

Naruto stood in front of the cot, staring at its occupant. He made no move to approach the still body within it. He simply stared, watching the man's chest rise and fall, drinking in the pitiful sight of the man he loved after being apart for so long.

"Kakashi," he breathed the name huskily, sorrow and longing pungent in its sound. He slowly knelt by the unconscious jounin's side, stroking his unmasked face tenderly. The silver hair drooped and no longer had its shiny luster. The man's already pale complexion was sickly and his once muscular frame looked fragile. Broken. Naruto wiped the stray tears from his eyes with his forearm. He grasped the man's hand in his own, bringing it to his face to place a soft kiss upon it.

"Ne, Kakashi," the blond called softly, "I completed a really important mission today. We may actually win the war with this. It's our last hope," he paused thoughtfully. "It's a forbidden scroll. It has a kinjutsu in it. Did you know, even though it's really strong, no one's ever tried it?" He glanced curiously at the jounin, almost as if he expected a timely response. Silence.

"It's supposed to allow the user to travel through time. But time is a relative thing. No one knows if it's a tangible. So how can you travel through something that may or may not exist, you know? Not only that, it's super difficult and there's a price to pay."

"They say that its success depends solely upon the user's strength of will. As for the price…it's human lives. I think it's affordable. No one said whose lives they had to be. I'm sure the Orochi-bastard wouldn't mind if I sacrificed a large portion of his shinobi," Naruto smirked mischeviously, knowing that if Kakashi had been awake they would have been sharing a laugh at the Sound's expense.

"But enough of that now," Naruto declared with false cheer, "I'm tired, you know? Long mission and all that. I think it's time for us to get some rest." He cautiously edged onto the cot, sitting up with his back resting against the desk, and carefully pulled Kakashi into his arms. Placing a kiss upon the jounin's brows, he settled himself down to sleep.

* * *

Tsunade had been standing a few feet from Naruto's tent, intending to talk with him about the scroll. Instead, she had been frozen to the spot, her heart tearing as she listened to Naruto's banter with the dying man. She brought a hand to her mouth, trying to stifle the anguished sob that erupted from it, as she turned around and raced back to her tent.

Out of all of them, had he not suffered the most? Yes, he had, she concluded, her chest still shaking with her grievous sobs. If there was anyone that deserved a second chance, it was Uzumaki Naruto; for his kindness and loyalty to the people who had once despised him; for his tenacity and courage in the face of opposition and fear.

The scroll would be his to do as he wished. It was the least he deserved.

* * *

Naruto suddenly jerked awake, a sense of foreboding in the air, tingling along his skin. He frowned. There was no foreign chakra around, so what was the danger? Unconsciously, he tightened his arms around the jounin lying against his chest. His sapphire eyes widened.

'_Cold…so cold.'_ He thought numbly. Kakashi was frigid and stiff within the confines of his arms. There was no soft fluttering of eyelids or the reassuring up and down motion of his chest. Naruto released a heavy breath.

He knew.

He closed his eyes, lowering his head to rest his forehead against Kakashi's. _'So, it finally happened,'_ was his solemn conclusion. There was no denial. There were no tears.

Only the startling knowledge that his worst fear had finally come true.

"I love you, Kakashi, I love you, I love you," he continued to mumble into the man's hair, as if those words were a spell that could weave itself around the man's essence.

Breathing deeply, he climbed out of the cot, never looking away from Kakashi's face. He settled the jounin back underneath the blanket and brushed the stray strands of hair from the man's eyes. He stayed like that, kneeling beside Kakashi's body, recalling the beginning of their tentative romance.

(_…"Naruto! You're back! How'd your training go?" Sakura asked joyfully, hugging the fifteen year old blond at the entrance of Konoha. _

"_As good as it could be with the Ero-sannin teaching me," he responded with an enthusiastic hug of his own. Jiraiya spluttered with indignation._

"_Naruto!" His name rang out over and over in greeting as his friends gathered around. The giggling of the girls and loud laughter of the boys washed over him, lulling him into comfort. He was squabbling with Tsunade, when he saw his former jounin instructor ambling his way down the street towards them. _

"_Yo," the silver-haired man greeted him and was met with loud emphatic yells - "You're late!" - from the assembled people in response. The jounin scratched his head sheepishly before turning to face Naruto. His gaze was startled but the emotion was quickly replaced by thoughtfulness. _

_The others around them continued with their own conversations and greetings as Naruto fidgeted underneath the intensity of Kakashi's appraising gaze. Finally, the blond snapped._

"_What? Is there something wrong with me?" He questioned reproachfully. _

"…_you've changed," was the ambiguous response._

"_Well, yeah, that's what happens with puberty and three years of training," Naruto answered dryly. _

_Kakashi merely, "Hmmmed," and smiled back…_)

Naruto closed his eyes, letting the simple amusement of the memory comfort him. That had been the first time that Kakashi had truly seen him, unhindered by the presence of Sasuke.

(_…Naruto was waiting impatiently by the Hokage monument for his squad captain, admiring his new ANBU uniform. He was sixteen and had finally been initiated within the prestigious ranks. He attempted to calm himself and act smooth as befitted the attitude of an ANBU, but he could hardly contain his excitement for his first mission. _

_Orochimaru had started acting up again and so new teams were being assigned everywhere. Even retired shinobis were being called back into duty. He hoped his superior didn't end up being some old geezer. He wanted someone he could learn and grow from. _

_A sudden poof caught his immediate attention. He glanced curiously at the cloud, watching it dissipate to reveal another ANBU. He was tall, lean, and muscular with silver hair. _

_Naruto quirked an eyebrow. 'Silver hair? The guy's was old, darn it!' However, as the unknown ANBU walked towards Naruto, he could detect a stealthy grace in the other man's movements that screamed danger. _

"_Yo," a low baritone voice greeted him from behind the animal mask. Naruto's eyes widened with incredulity._

"_Kakashi-sensei!"…_)

He hadn't known it then, but that had been the first time Kakashi had seen him as anything other than a student.

(_…"Where's Kakashi?" Naruto screamed above the sound of the battle. _

_The ANBU beside him responded worriedly, "He's been taken, Uzumaki-san! They want his Sharingan!" The blond snarled. He stabbed the opposing ninja in front of him, dispassionate as he viciously jerked the katana within the Sound-nin's chest. Shoving the body off of his blade, he ran in the opposite direction from Konoha._

"_Uzumaki-san, where are you going?" One of the ANBUs questioned frantically. _

"_Where do you think, dimwit! I'm not leaving Kakashi to those bastards!" He shouted and disappeared from sight…_)

Naruto's eyes darkened as he recalled that memory. It hadn't been pleasant to say the least. He could still vividly remember his fury when he finally caught up with Kakashi's captors.

(_…"Return him now!" Naruto demanded harshly, only to receive a mocking laugh in response from the seven Sound-nin. _

"_You mean this pathetic guy?" One of them revealed a bruised and poisoned Kakashi. Naruto snarled in anger. 'How dare they!' He was about to charge and rip the bastards to shreds when he heard Kakashi's weakened voice croak, "Naruto, get out of here…the mission comes first…"_

"_Don't be such a hypocrite! Weren't you the one who told me that the ninja who puts the mission over the well-being of his comrades is lower than trash? Are you telling me to become lower than trash! I'm going to be the Hokage, god damn it, and I'm not about to let these pathetic losers take you away from me!" Naruto's temper flared at Kakashi's gall to look surprised from his outburst. _

_With a burst of chakra, Naruto disappeared from the sight of the Sound-nins, appearing merely as a flash of yellow light. _

"_It's Konoha's Yellow Flash!" One of the ninjas cried fearfully. Naruto suddenly appeared in his original spot, this time holding the battered form of Kakashi beside him. _

"_No," Naruto replied contemptuously, "that was my father. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, the future Hokage of Konohakagure. And I'm going to be an even worse nightmare for you than he was," he let the Kyuubi's chakra leak out and smirked in satisfaction as the Sound-nins trembled with fear. _

_He glanced reproachfully at the jounin within his arms, "We, Hatake Kakashi, are going to have a few words when we get home," he hissed. _

_Setting the silver-haired man down beside a tree trunk, he turned to face his opponents and missed the glazed appearance of the jounin's eyes and the barely perceptible tremor of his body. If Naruto had seen, he would have faltered with the sudden knowledge that something was changing;, an awareness that hadn't been in Kakashi's eyes before…_)

That had been the first time Kakashi had seen him as more than just a subordinate, but as a partner. An equal. And that had been the first time Naruto had felt a fierce sense of possessiveness towards the silver-haired jounin. He chuckled, recalling how they had gotten together. The jounin had been such a stubborn man.

(_…Naruto was growing increasingly irritated. It had been weeks since their mutual slip-ups of their feelings towards one another. As far as he cared, he loved Kakashi, and Kakashi loved him. So why the hell hadn't they progressed anywhere! _

_Every time they were together, there was a peculiar awkwardness in the air, and both of them were reluctant to be the first to breach the topic that was at the forefront of their minds. But Naruto had been trying to drop hints here and there to indicate that he wanted what his feelings had told him. But, noooo, either the jounin was incredibly dense or just idiotically stubborn. _

_Since the older man was an ANBU, the former option was discarded. It had to be number two. Well, if Kakashi wasn't going to do anything, he would! Angrily, he gripped the other man's arm and turned Kakashi around to face him. The jounin looked at Naruto questioningly. _

"_Damn it, Kakashi! Why are you holding back? Am I not good enough? Have you changed your mind? Why are you denying what we both want?" He exclaimed. _

_Kakashi raised an elegant eyebrow, "What exactly do we want?" Naruto growled in frustration._

"_Don't play around with me! You know exactly what we want!" The blond replied petulantly._

"_Really," the silver-haired man drawled. "Well, I know what I want, but that's expected. Tell me, what is it that you want?" Naruto was reaching his limits. No, he had already reached them._

"_Fine! I want you, Hatake Kakashi! Why I'm attracted to you, you sorry excuse of a pervert, is beyond me, but I want you! Now kiss me, damn it!" The younger man snapped. _

_Kakashi complied happily…_)

Naruto smiled. What he would give to go back and do that all over again. But he could do without what eventually followed.

(_…"Kakashi, please, please don't die," Naruto pleaded with the unconscious jounin. Tsunade was going back and forth, trying to diagnose the cause of Kakashi's unending sleep. Even now, the silver-haired man was starting to fade. _

_A sudden flicker of movement caught the blond shinobi's attention, and he looked up to gaze at a pair of mismatched eyes. _

"_Die, koibito? That is that last thing I'll do." The jounin smiled softly, despite his weakened state. Naruto let out a strangled cry of relief, hugging the man desperately…)_

Naruto was quiet. His expression carefully blank as he rose from his kneeling position. There really wasn't anything left to say. He had known this moment would arrive for years. It was even expected. He had only to say good-bye. No, he wouldn't. There would be no good-byes between them.

"I will see you again, Kakashi. Maybe not this you, but another you," he spoke resolutely. What he wouldn't do to set things right again…

He walked out of the still tent without a second glance.

* * *

"Tsunade," Naruto's solemn voice interrupted the hushed conversation between the Hokage and the Uchiha survivor. The woman was startled at the blond's respectful tone, no playful "obaa-chans" coming forth from him. The two occupants turned towards the entrance of the Hokage's tent, watching Naruto enter slowly.

They waited patiently for the blond to say something. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. There was something wrong, he thought. Naruto looked…resigned. His eyes widened. As gently as possible, he voiced his suspicions. "Naruto, is Kakashi…?"

The blond looked up directly into his eyes. Sasuke recoiled from the eerie blankness of Naruto's sapphire orbs. They for some reason were so much more painful to witness than the sheer anguish and despair the blond rightly should have been displaying. It was as if Naruto was beyond the point where he could feel. Sasuke turned his head away; the blond's expression had been more than enough for an answer.

Tsunade did not cry. She had done her share of mourning last night. Now, she had to be the Hokage. It was her duty. She knew; deep inside she already knew what Naruto would ask her, and she was prepared to give it to him. "Yes, Naruto?" her voice was apprehensive, but steady.

"Hokage-sama, I request that I be the one to use the scroll I retrieved yesterday," Naruto stated without preamble. Sasuke stalked out of the tent.

Taking a deep breath in, Tsunade replied, "Request granted, Uzumaki Naruto. I wish you luck," she stated while handing the scroll to him. He grabbed her hand before she retracted it and they both took comfort in the contact before he gently deposited the necklace she had given him years ago in her hand. Tsunade's vision blurred with tears despite her efforts as she gazed at the sparkling, turquoise ore.

"I'll be expecting it back someday," he spoke gruffly. She stifled a hysterical giggle.

"Sure, but we'll have to bet over something besides the Rasengan this time," she responded.

"Yeah, and this time, I'll make you use more than one finger," he retorted. His shining cerulean eyes locked with her hazel, a playful grin on his face.

"At best, you'll get me to use two fingers," Tsunade sniffed haughtily, earning a soft chuckle from the young man before her. She gave him a trembling smile.

With a cheeky wink, he bowed and left the tent without a good-bye. She wasn't hurt. She knew what he was thinking. They would see each other again, she was sure of it.

She just wouldn't remember.

* * *

Naruto walked into the clearing, geared up with new weapons and a fresh ANBU uniform. He looked to the side, seeing that someone was there waiting for him. Sasuke. Languidly, he walked over and looked at his childhood comrade and brother in arms.

The Uchiha's expression displayed the obvious turmoil he felt within him. As if reaching a conclusion, Sasuke looked up with resolute expression upon his face.

"Dead-last, you better not screw up," he spoke with a smirk. Naruto smiled.

"Feh, not a concern, bastard." The blond chuckled as his companion rolled his eyes.

"When you get back there," the raven-haired boy swallowed, "promise me you'll stop me from being stupid." Naruto gave a sharp nod. As if bolstered by Naruto's compliancy, he continued to entreat him.

"Promise me that you'll get stronger than you are now. That you'll protect Konoha. Promise me," he gasped with pain, "that you'll protect her." They both thought of cherry-blossom hair, tainted with a dark crimson, splayed on the cold ground.

"That I won't do," the blond replied. Sasuke looked up sharply, anger simmering in his eyes. "I won't protect her, because I won't need to." The Uchiha was perplexed. "When I get back there, I'll make sure you're strong enough to do it yourself." Sasuke uttered a sharp bark of laughter, earning him a soft smile from Naruto.

"Do that, Naruto, though how you'll get me to listen to you when I was at that pig-headed stage is a mystery," Sasuke commented dryly.

"Oh, so the mighty ice prince finally admits the truth!" The blond punched the other man in the shoulder playfully. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to pound the hell out of you and drill it into your head."

"Ha, as if you could have ever beat me at that age!" The raven haired boy replied loftily. Naruto grinned, an unspoken acceptance of challenge glinting in his eyes. "Hey, if you ever see the fur-ball again, say I owe him an ass-kicking. And…an apology." Sasuke spoke reluctantly, an almost petulant frown upon his lips.

The blond snickered, "Yeah, I'll definitely pass that on to him. If he ever remembers he'll probably laugh his head off, call you an impudent mortal and threaten to bite off your family jewels." Sasuke grimaced.

"Che, forget I said that then," the raven-haired man sneered.

"Uh-uh," Naruto responded in a sing-song voice. "The Kyuubi's definitely gonna hear this," he gave a shit eating grin at his comrade's appalled expression.

Sasuke snorted.

A comfortable silence fell upon them. They glanced at each other and then looked towards the forest. Without removing his gaze from the dark depths of the trees, Sasuke spoke to Naruto one last time.

"So, no good-bye's, right?"

Naruto nodded his assent. "No good-bye's." With that, he turned to face the forest completely, and with a mocking salute, he disappeared.

* * *

The walls of Orochimaru's compound exploded. "What is going on?" The snake-like man hissed to his subordinates.

"An intruder! It's the de-" the unfortunate man's cry was cut off by a deft slice of a katana. The Sound-nin's body fell to reveal the silhouette of a Leaf ANBU behind him. Orochimaru's eyes narrowed in recognition.

"What a pleasant surprise. How nice of the _former_ Kyuubi container to visit me," he jeered spitefully. "I heard the Akatsuki almost got you, brat. Releasing the Kyuubi of your own volition before they leached it from you…quite ingenious really," Orochimaru complimented mockingly. "It's a pity they didn't succeed," the Snake-sannin hissed.

"Yes, quite a pity," the blond drawled. "It's also a pity that I didn't manage to slaughter all of them that time. I heard there's a stray or two wandering around…" he waved a blood soaked hand idly, an undertone of threat in his voice.

"Oh?" The Otokage raised an eyebrow. "I think Itachi is more than just a stray. After all, he put down your dog of a lover, didn't he?" Orochimaru's thin lips widened into a self-satisfied sneer as Naruto stiffened.

"Don't feel bad, Naruto-kun. Kakashi was just a pitiful imitation of an Uchiha anyhow. He was one eye short of the full-package. But there's always Itachi…why don't you just run along and surrender yourself to him?" The snake-like man spoke patronizingly.

The blond's sapphire eyes flashed with a burning crimson. "_Never_ say his name with your filthy mouth," Naruto spat, trembling with rage.

"Hmm? What name? Itachi?" He smirked as Naruto snarled in frustration. "No? My bad, you must have meant _Kakashi_." Orochimaru corrected slyly.

"Shut up," the blond spat menacingly.

"Or what, whelp?" the Otokage spoke contemptuously. "I don't know why you came here – alone at that- but you'll find nothing here but your own death." He paused as if with sudden realization. "But then again, that's probably why you came, isn't it? You couldn't live without poor little _Kakashi_ by your side," he snickered. "Well, if it's death you want, I certainly won't withhold it from you," Orochimaru snapped his fingers.

Through his anger, Naruto noted the gathering shadows along the walls, flickering chakras indicating the arrival of the snake-sannin's lackeys. Steeling himself for the battle ahead, he gathered all the chakra he could muster.

The snake-like man's eyes narrowed. "Let's see you survive this time, Uzumaki Naruto."

* * *

With each terrified scream he heard from his enemies, Naruto's vengeful rage and indignation grew. Distractedly, his eyes roved over the corpses and fleeing shinobi as he searched for his main target: Orochimaru. _'Damn bastard ran!'_ he growled.

Naruto stalked through the burning village, wrinkling his nose at the putrid smell of burning flesh. Movement in an alley caught his eye and he lunged for it with a keen sense of blood lust. It was an injured sound-nin.

"Where's Orochimaru?" the blond questioned, a distinct tone of sinister amusement filtering through as he watched the man squirm fearfully under his crimson gaze. The man continued to babble in terror.

"Please, don't kill me! Please, please! I'm sorry! I'm sorry," the shinobi continued to sob at the blond's feet, cradling a snapped arm and dragging his useless leg behind him as he scurried away. Naruto snorted in derision.

"Enough! Tell me where he is or I'll kill you!" The blond roughly shook the sound-nin by the front of his vest. He could see blinding fear reflected in the man's dark eyes before a foreign emotion – was that triumph? – flashed across them.

'_Wha-?'_ Naruto's eyes widened. _'Damn, an ambush!'_ he threw himself away from the man, narrowly avoiding being skewered by a multitude of poisoned kunai and shuriken. His eyes darted back and forth as the other sound-nin revealed themselves, hardly showing concern for their comrade that had been skewered in the blond's place.

Naruto stood up from his crouch angrily, "I'm getting sick of this. Tell me where Orochimaru is and your death won't be as painful." His enemies only laughed.

The blond closed his eyes, a solemn and almost weary expression upon his face as he announced their fate. "Fine. Remember, you asked for it."

* * *

Naruto continued through the barren streets of the Sound Village, the blood soaked kinjutsu scroll clenched tightly within one of his hands. _'They deserved it,'_ he thought vehemently. _'The damn bastards asked for it, and they got it. It's as simple as that, Uzumaki Naruto!'_

He'd slain them. All of them without exception. Then he had unraveled the scroll and nonchalantly smeared a liberal amount of their blood upon it before walking out of the alley. Or at least, he had tried to be nonchalant. He had tried to be unfeeling. But try as he might, he could not ignore the guilt weighing down in his chest.

'_This is war,'_ he lectured himself. _'Killing is necessary. They were your enemies.'_ He was a shinobi. It was his duty to kill. And kill he did. He killed a lot of people. But what he was doing now…it wasn't just killing. It was extermination.

It saddened and angered him that Orochimaru had managed to force him to become just as vile. Just as despicable. Because right now, he wasn't killing for survival. He wasn't killing in order to protect a precious person. He was killing because he wanted to. Because he enjoyed it.

He wanted them to feel the same pain he and his loved ones had felt. As paradoxical as it seemed, Naruto was glad he was alone. That no one was with him. No one to witness his actions… _'Stop. Don't think about it. You came here to set things right. So do it.'_

Pausing in the middle of the street, he popped a soldier pill into his mouth. Naruto grimaced as he felt an explosion of chakra searing through his pathways. _'It's not enough.'_ Calmly, he swallowed two more soldier pills. Stifling his urge to moan in pain, he waited until his blue chakra was overflowing, dancing like flames across his skin.

Then, he tossed back a handful of experimental soldier pills he had created with the help of Tsunade, specifically made to restore his limited supply of demonic chakra. He gasped in agony as he fell to his knees. The torrent of demonic chakra overwhelmed him. It heightened his senses, his anguish…it inflamed his sorrows and used them as fuel.

Pain. Pain. Hopelessness. Desolation. Why? Why? Why?

He'd thought that he'd accepted the fact that the man he loved had died. He thought he had been past the denial. Lies, all lies.

"KAKASHI!" The name tore through his throat like a battle cry and a curse. He howled with every fiber of his being, the sound echoing eerily through the burning village. With that last utterance, Naruto submerged himself within the blood lust of his rage, one last time.

* * *

Orochimaru stood frozen in shock as the blond burst through the walls of his private laboratory. Naruto's crimson chakra manifested itself with menacing extensions, whip-like tendrils lashing out and demolishing everything it its path.

The snake-sannin questioned frantically, "What's the meaning of this? How did you-?"

"Find you? Wouldn't you like to know?" The blond cut off the other man's words. Hurriedly, the Otokage attempted to make an escape, but Naruto was less than willing to let his prey leave. An arm of chakra mimicked the clawed hand that the blond held out before him. Following his will, the chakra enclosed upon Orochimaru's form ruthlessly.

"You're not going anywhere, you bastard!" Naruto tightened his hold on the other man with emphasis, causing the snake-like man to scream in pain. Slowly, he clenched his fist even tighter, delighted as he heard the sound of snapping bones and bursting blood vessels.

"You damn brat!" Orochimaru screamed with fury. The crumbling structure of the compound alerted the leaf-nin to his limited time. Cursing loudly, he lamented the fact that he wouldn't have more time to hurt the scum within his grasp.

Still holding his enemy suspended in the air with chakra, Naruto unraveled the kinjutsu scroll with his other hand. He walked up to Orochimaru and let the man's blood drip down the length of the inscription on the scroll before tossing the wounded shinobi aside.

Even in his pained state, Orochimaru was not one to let a jutsu go unknown. He watched curiously with slight apprehension as the blond callously sliced his own chest open with his claws. "What are you doing?" he wheezed.

"Not much, just going to set everything straight again. I don't think I'll be able to go far back enough to prevent your sorry ass from being born, but I'll take what I can get," Naruto explained cheerily as he bared his canines in a shit-eating grin, demonic eyes flashing gleefully.

Orochimaru stared uncomprehendingly as the blond infused the scroll with all his remaining chakra. The scroll snapped open and Naruto watched like a giddy child as seals began to glow brightly in the air. "Still don't understand?" He clucked his tongue and frowned mockingly at the snake-sannin.

"I'm going back, snake-face. I'm going back home to Konoha," Naruto declared just as the scroll flashed and wrapped around his body, soaking in the blood from his chest in the process. Orochimaru's eyes widened with a semblance of understanding.

Naruto ignored the man's enraged scream of "No!" and gave a put-upon sigh as he muttered under his breath, "This is gonna hurt, I just know it."

There was an explosion of chakra and light, accompanied with a lot of pain, and then everything went dark.

'_For all my precious people…for you, Kakashi. I'll do it for you.'_

**TBC…**

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**AN:** Whew! This chapter was revised as of July 5th! I added about 10 more pages to it. And more details as to what happened to the Akatsuki and the Kyuubi.

So, like? Dislike? Questions?

**REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!**


	2. Rekindling the Fire: Part A, Version 3

**REVISION 3: Nov. 10th 2005**

**Timeline has been switched and ages have been adjusted. Naruto returned to Konoha when he was 15 and became ANBU at 16. Konoha was attacked a second time by the Sound when he was 19. Now he is 21.**

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**STORY NOTES:**

Naruto's _'thoughts'_

Kyuubi **speech**

(…Flashback scenes…)

* * *

**IMPORTANT about the story:** Excerpt of scenes from the past…instead of continuous flashbacks, were written to aid the reader's understanding. They will look like: ...blah...

I'll probably start and end each chapter with one. It helps build character depth and reveals important plot points. Usually, the chapter will be related to whatever the chapter starts and ends with.

They are important, so don't skip them!

* * *

**As The Last Candle Burns**

By: Falling Right Side-Up

Chapter 1: Part A

* * *

"_**Konoha's ninjas, they all have a Spirit of Fire! …All the people in this village have a strong sense of Protection. And all of us have this spirit, all of us are part of the same family…you too have the same spirit."**_** – Sarutobi Sandaime Hokage**

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"**Your Kind"**

...The jounins of Konohakagure stared miserably at the glaring flames that roared, engulfing the small trading village with a frightening hunger. They made no move to stop it, since they had been the ones to set it alight. It was not an act to purge their enemies out from hiding, for they had already gone and left.

It was a burial. For the entire village and its inhabitants.

Once the smell of burning flesh began to ride upon the wind along with the smoke, many of the jounins turned away and left, having had enough reminders of their failure. But Naruto and one other remained.

"They're wrong, you know," a man spoke, his gruff voice barely audible above the violent crackling of the fire. Naruto did not turn to face him, already knowing who it was, and contented himself to staring at the burning village. "This carnage wasn't the work of many, but of one. The others wouldn't know because they don't recognize the signs, but the bodies were telling enough."

Naruto remembered the bodies, how could he not? They'd been mutilated. Every single one from man to child. He forced himself to remember the details of their torture but could not see the connections to indicate one perpetrator. He finally turned to look at the other man with a weary expression upon his face, silently asking for an elaboration.

Morino Ibiki half-grimaced, half-smirked, the shadows cast by the flames lending his already frightening appearance with a more horrifying visage. "What can I say?" he shrugged, though his eyes reflected a feral gleam that belied his careless action. Ibiki looked past the blond and into the fire. "In my profession, you learn to recognize the work of others' of your kind."

"Your kind?" Naruto raised a charred eyebrow.

The feral gleam spread, now reflected in an almost grotesque leer as the interrogator answered. "Sadists."

The blond was taken aback by the blunt answer.

"There's a certain quality that only those of the same like can recognize, understand, and to an extent appreciate or respect," Ibiki continued, drawing Naruto's attention once again. "This principle can be applied elsewhere as well. Assassin to assassin. King to king. Coward to coward. Mother to mother."

"So, it's all really a matter of perpective. We see what we want to see and recognize from looking at ourselves?" Naruto queried. Ibiki's eyes flickered from the fire to peer at the blond.

Another careless shrug. "Basically." The towering form of the special-jounin retreated placidly towards the forest, whatever task he'd wanted to accomplish seemingly done with. "Just remember: _Always like to like_."

A flash of annoyance overcame the young shinobi, suddenly resentful of the impromptu lecture that was delivered in such a blithe manner. "And if you're not of the same like? What then?" Naruto challenged Ibiki.

The blond felt a sudden chill deep within him at the answering look the interrogator cast at him in midstride; it was a weary and pitying expression.

"You'll be one of a kind. Alone." The word _'Again' _went unsaid, but it was heard by the wary blond nonetheless. His tired body cringed at the painful memories of his past.

Naruto continued to stare towards the forest, reflecting upon the information he'd been bestowed by the other shinobi. Filing the lesson away into his mind, he turned back to gaze at the blazing village; the fire was still going strong.

He remained standing, not bothering to make himself comfortable or shield himself from the flying embers and scorching heat. It would be a couple more hours before he left for camp...

* * *

**Chapter 1: Rekindling the Fire**

**Part A**

She had promised herself that she would have nothing to do with that place again. That place that she had both loved and despised. Konohakagure. The deathtrap that had murdered the two people she had loved the most. So she had run away. She had abandoned that place long ago.

Yet, here she found herself unable to ignore the spectacle before her. An ugly desperation began to grow, one that urged her to take something precious from that place as it had done to her. All she had to do was walk away. Turn her back upon the battered and bloodied man that was sprawled gracelessly on the dirt pathway.

To let the ANBU die.

Instead, trembling at the sight of his blood and despite her resentment, her body crouched down and lifted the man into her arms. Like an automaton her legs began to move, bringing her closer towards the little inn where she resided. If she found it strange that she was able to deter her usually inescapable fear of blood, she didn't question it. Deep inside she knew why she was helping him.

It wasn't that she still felt the age old ties of duty towards the village she had forsaken. Certainly not. And it wasn't because her diligent training as a medic demanded she help the injured. No.

She simply couldn't abandon someone who clearly felt the same pain as she did. While she had stood over him, his torn uniform, broken bones and bleeding wounds had gone unnoticed at first, her eyes drawn instead towards the barely perceptible trails of tears that marked his face.

As a shinobi she should have felt disdain at the display of emotion from him. To be an elite ANBU and cry, she had wondered how he'd made it that far. But when she had seen his split lips move, had heard him utter a name…she had known why he cried. The utter longing, heartache and desperation pungent in his rasping voice met and resounded with the same feelings within her as well.

So as she trudged towards the inn desperately trying to qualm her fear of blood, she wondered how he could hold onto his life so tenaciously, the determination he held apparent in his pained struggle.

She felt as if she was the one who was dying in comparison. A part of her couldn't help but wonder if he had something worth enduring the despair of existence. And if he did, she wondered if he could share it with her as well.

She was tired of dying.

* * *

He blinked.

Cautiously, Naruto turned his head and stared. Then he blinked again. A passerby outside of his window would have thought the blond was a bit damaged up in the head and then skirted farther away so as to not catch whatever debilitating disease the blond man had.

Even Naruto knew he probably looked stupid with his jaw slack and eyes open in childlike wonderment as he stared at the perfectly normal if not a bit rundown town. But he couldn't help it. The street that he was looking down upon, the town the street was located in…they couldn't have possibly existed. His jaw snapped shut and his eyes narrowed.

'_This town,'_ his suspicious cerulean eyes darted back and forth, _'this town was a trading outpost of Konoha, located on the edge of Fire Country and Tea Country. It was destroyed a year after Konoha fell.'_ Inside, he viciously clamped down on the hopeful beginnings of joy at the thought of his possible success.

If the town was back, he was in the past. He had to be, didn't he? But years of suspicion and paranoia told him to be cautious.

After he had activated the scroll, he remembered a flash of light and tremendous pain. Pain that had caused him to pass out. In between that time and the time he had awoken, there could have been ample opportunity for an enemy to set up an elaborate genjutsu in order to fool him.

Speaking of waking up… When Naruto had finally regained consciousness, he had woken up completely free from pain. That in itself was suspicious. He knew he had used up all of his chakra on the scroll, and with the Kyuubi gone he didn't have the ability of instant regeneration, which meant someone else had healed him and he hadn't been aware of it.

That was just one thing among many in his list of suspicious factors. He was clean. His ANBU uniform-at least what had been left of it- had been peeled off along with his mask and weapons. In its place he was wearing a thin white yukata. Fortunately, all of his personal items – including the scroll - were resting upon a table an arms length away from the bed. A bed of a small inn.

Curiously, he had gotten up to find that there was another room connected to his. It hosted two futons with various personal belongings- were those medical supplies? - scattered around. For some reason he had received a distinct impression that the owners of the room were female. Scratching his head, he had made his way to the window where he had frozen in shock. He was still in that same position now.

While trying to make sense of all the clues he had just gleamed from his surroundings, Naruto stumbled upon yet another dilemma that he'd forgotten to consider earlier.

'_I unleashed the kinjutsu scroll in the Sound Village…so shouldn't I have woken up there? Sure, the village itself might not have been built yet, but I should have woken up in the same vicinity at least…' _

So why had he awoken so close to the border of Tea country – on the complete opposite side of Fire country from where the Stone and Sound Village were? And if he was in the past, just how far had he been thrown back? 7 years? 10 years? 30 years?

Truth be told, he was completely baffled. He hadn't really studied the scroll in detail, instead relying upon the Intel he had originally received about its existence and purpose. Now, as much as he trusted his source of info, he was starting to regret his hasty decision to use the scroll without proper knowledge.

'_But I really don't think an invaluable scroll that can turn back time is going to have such an…__**inane**__ catch as to locate the user somewhere else…what purpose could that possibly serve?'_

Naruto frowned thoughtfully as another idea popped up. There was one other possibility… It had been, after all, the Kyuubi who had informed him of the scroll's existence in the first place, though the circumstances had been strange to say the least, the blond thought wryly.

"You're awake," a smooth feminine voice cut through his befuddled daze. Masking his startled twitch and berating himself silently for being caught off guard, he donned a blank expression as he turned around to face the woman.

The mask crumbled as he choked on an errant breath of air.

* * *

She raised a finely sculpted eyebrow as the young man began to choke in surprise. Really now. She knew she was a knockout, not to mention she was a famous shinobi in his village, but this was the first time she'd received this kind of reaction.

"You-," he gasped then coughed. Yes, me, she thought. "You-," he tried again. If she wasn't so amused by his reaction she would have been annoyed at his incapability to speak coherently. "How-," she could see his frustration growing, his face tinged with a rosy hue.

She judged he was in his early twenties and in really good shape since she'd seen his body while dressing his wounds. His handsome and boyish face along with the almost blinding, yellow sea-urchin like hair was reminiscent of a face she'd seen long ago…

She turned her attention back to the blond man just as he gave up on whatever he was about to say. It seemed that he had opted to say something else instead. Opening his mouth he bellowed with joy and disbelief, "Obaa-chan!"

Her eyebrow twitched.

* * *

Naruto was flying.

Idly, he figured it probably hadn't been the best way to address the woman with super-human strength as he was sent flying through the inn wall and into the adjacent room. Not that it really hurt him but it was the principal of the matter that counted.

Really, the only reason he hadn't dodged was his surprise at seeing his mother-figure in the past…who looked exactly the same as she did in the future or past, er… whatever it was or is, he thought confusedly.

He chuckled softly, mindless of the pieces of plaster from the broken wall that fell on top of him. Even though she looked the same, it was obvious to him that she was different.

Not only did her eyes lack the familiar warmth and recognition of his identity, but she lacked the sharpened and wizened gaze of a Hokage who was in charge of thousands of lives as well. And though her physical appearance exuded a refreshing aura of vitality, he was somewhat confused by the pronounced suffering and anger that flashed within her eyes; the dark emotions were far stronger than they had been when he'd first met her.

Naruto shook himself from his reverie as he heard a childish yelp behind him. Slowly, he stood up and dusted the plaster off of his yukata. Turning around, he was greeted with the sight of a young girl with black cropped hair, staring at him in surprise.

He wanted to laugh. If the freakish strength of the woman in front of him hadn't reassured him that he was in the past, the sight of the young girl behind him did.

'_Shizune,'_ he chuckled inside. _'She's so young! She can't be more than 13 years old…'_ Naruto watched as she shuffled past him through the hole in the wall to stand beside the older woman in front of him.

Picking his way past the debris on the floor, he walked back into the first room and stopped in front of the two females. "Ara, Sorry 'bout this," he smiled at the bewildered and suspicious looks they sent him.

Attempting to suppress the almost giddy exultation bubbling within him, he couldn't help the softening of his eyes as he gazed fondly at the two females. They were _alive_. Not in the sense that they were breathing, but healthy…less tortured. They had not inner beasts to fight just yet. Not like they had in the future. Not like him.

'_This time I won't fail. I'll protect you, so you'll never face the sadness and horror I faced. Kakashi,'_ he called out to the spirit of his lover, _'watch me, koibito. I'll protect everyone. Even from myself.'_

"It seems we started off on the wrong foot. Let me introduce myself. My name is (1) Zokutou Sansai," Naruto smiled amiably, exuding comforting warmth. "It's an honor to meet you, Tsunade-sama."

* * *

He was lying to her.

Tsunade didn't doubt he was truly happy to see her. Nor did she doubt anything he had said. But… the complete package of carefree happiness he displayed… It was wrong. The warm man in front of her was a complete turn about from the anguished and tortured man she'd found on the street.

Somehow, she felt cheated. She'd saved him because she thought he would understand what she had felt alone for so long. The terrible and ugly anger that raged within her, the torturous thoughts of her loved ones, the festering feelings of betrayal. But he was hiding it from her.

Eyes shadowed in darkness, she turned towards the blond man. "Shizune," she called out to her young apprentice. "Go tell the inn keeper that we'll need new rooms. One for us and one for our…guest."

Pausing to look back and forth from her guardian to the smiling man, she stepped out from behind Tsunade before scurrying out of the room. "Hai, Tsunade-san!" When her clamoring footsteps disappeared, Tsunade lifted her piercing gaze to Sansai.

"Don't hide from me," she hissed.

Only years of experience stopped Tsunade from flinching when the man's cheerful blue eyes suddenly turned cold and accusing. They reproached her with burning anger, incredulous that she dared to command him to reveal himself. They challenged her with bitter amusement, asking her if she knew what exactly she had asked for. They patronized her, like a man scolding a child for petty impudence.

A hot flash of shame burned her, and she struggled to remind herself that she was a grown woman. But there was something else besides her innate stubbornness that refused to let her back down. A strange fear settled like a growing weight in her chest; it warned her that if she cowered from him now, something irreplaceable would be lost. That one thought pierced through her lingering doubts, and though her wariness remained, she faced him unflinchingly.

The blond man's eyes narrowed with a flash of annoyance before dulling in pained resignation. And then…he changed.

The change was…chaotic. It was as if an explosive sensation overtook his body, like an illusion of battle between two entities residing within the same husk of flesh. A long forgotten memory came to life within the sannin's mind, one of her mentor's whimsical musings of yin and yang, of balance, and of good and evil. Watching with morbid fascination, Tsunade concluded that the struggle before her was nothing of that sort.

No, it was...like the ominous calm before the storm, heralding the arrival of an even greater catastrophe.

Suddenly, the change was over and the storm had arrived, not in the form of swirling gale winds or raging waters, but a haggard, wretched soul. The vibrant youth was gone, replaced by a battered cripple whose posture emanated an overwhelming weariness. His lips were fixed in a grim line, and his eyes...she found her breath caught by his eyes.

Eyes that had been a cheerful sky blue darkened and their depths beckoned her. They swirled with a fury of anguish, a maelstrom of suffering...and yet, their stormy depths were contradicted by a strange fire, somehow flourishing in its hostile surroundings.

How the man could exist with such chaotic, duel natures was beyond her.

But what unsettled her most was the _**third**_ entity lurking comfortably within the fertile battleground of the man's soul. It lay in wait, not partaking in the battle of the other two, as if it could not be bothered by such a thing. And though its counterparts were equally as powerful, as formidable, and as awe inspiring…it was far more terrifying despite its inaction.

It was feral…almost inhuman.

Tsunade found herself trembling with fear and bitterness even as she smirked in satisfaction at the fact that she had been right. So right that ironically, she was wrong as well. He was suffering, but…

They weren't the same. His anguish was much worse. And to her horror she realized that she was relieved. Relieved that as saddened as she was there was someone who was worse off. Because that meant she hadn't reached rock bottom yet. It meant that if _he_ could still find something to smile about, something to live for…she could as well.

For the first time in a long while she breathed freely, a great burden lifted from her heart. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice conveying her relief and new found hope as she closed her eyes to savor the feeling.

In turn, the blond man restored his mask of calm and smothered the inferno while subduing the ferocity of the maelstrom, making the winds gentle and waters safe once again.

And along with the disappearance of the turmoil, the chill of the inhuman predator was forgotten.

* * *

Naruto understood.

But that didn't mean he liked it. He was glad that the display of his own suffering could relieve Tsunade of her own. Generally, he would even have encouraged it, but not now. Naruto's grief of having just lost Kakashi reduced what tenuous control he had over himself - over the beast - to shambles.

And, yet, Naruto thought bitterly to himself, he'd never had absolute control to start with. For the beast was a part of him - just another aspect of the man behind the masks. And that man was inseparably entwined with the savage. Primal, ruthless, and merciless. A beast comparatively worse in the eyes of humans than the greatest demons that had once roamed the mortal realm.

For, although it wore the skin of fellow humans, it was capable of unimaginable acts against those seemingly of its own kind. _He_ was capable of unimaginable acts. At least the youmas' actions were strangely justified since they were of a different species, a different kind, and were acting as befit their inhuman nature.

Only those like him, those who had defied and forsaken their own humanity for the sake of others and survival could understand and accept the beast...could understand and accept him.

Naruto stifled a hysterical laugh. He was not ignorant of the fact that what he loathed and at the same time needed most about himself was what had endeared him to the Kyuubi. Though he had not said anything, the blond had always felt the bijuu's intrigue and pride whenever he had succumbed to the ruthless and taunting urgings of destruction. After all...it was so much easier to destroy than protect. Kill than heal. Annihilate than preserve.

The blond's fists clenched painfully by his sides. _'Remember what Ibiki-san said, Uzumaki Naruto. You're not like her, like them anymore, and there's no one like you here either. You can not hope for them to ever fully understand you if you truly wish to save them.' _A small self-deprecating smile slipped past his guard.

_'Stop pitying yourself. There are far more important things than you.'_ He ruthlessly suppressed his anguish, leaving only a numb emptiness in its place. Naruto sighed. He just hoped the sannin wouldn't try him any further today.

The blond trudged towards the bed, exhaustion finally taking its toll. The older shinobi watched him, observing his awkward movements.

"So," he attempted to dispel the tension, "ummm, how old are you?" Tsunade's peaceful expression switched to a half-hearted glare.

"Don't you know it's rude to ask a woman her age?"

"I guess not," he responded sheepishly. _'It's not like I really had any experience with women anyways… Kakashi was male, thank you very much!' _

Figuring that she owed him at least that much, she answered to his relief. "I'm 34. I'm no granny." She watched in confusion as he let out a bark of disbelieving laughter. "You don't believe me?" She asked with a frown.

"Ah, no, no. I believe you," he reassured her with a wave of his hand, his eyes still glittering with hope. _'She's 34. That means…I'm 25 years in the past. I won't even be born for another 4 years! Oh, and Shizune is 12 years old. How cute!' _The blond man marveled silently.

However, his amusement was cut short with a sudden realization._'Wait a second…Kakashi! This means he's only 10!' _Naruto thought in dismay.

He collapsed against the headrest of the bed, his jaw slack. Rubbing a tired hand across his face, he huffed in disbelief. _'How the hell am I supposed to reunite with him if he's barely even started puberty! I don't want to be a cradle-robber!'_ He groaned, fisting a handful of his spiky hair in frustration.

Tsunade merely quirked an eyebrow in curiosity, wondering what had the mysterious young man in a fit of petulant frustration. She sighed, snorting occasionally at his incoherent mumbling. There seemed to be a lot she didn't know about the Sansai, but that would quickly be remedied.

"You're from Konoha, aren't you?" She sat in a chair beside the bed, one leg crossed over the other and her arms folded against her chest. "By the looks of what remained of your uniform, you were a captain," she drawled with a hint of distaste - towards him or his position, Naruto couldn't tell - and grudging respect. He nodded slowly, wary of where the conversation was heading.

The buxom woman held out a hand before her, casually examining her nails with an air of indifference. "Since you're alone, I think I can safely assume your squad is…" Tsunade tried to search for a tactful word but could only finish with, "…gone." She saw the blond male give a stiff nod. "I may have left Konoha but I do keep up with the news. Why are you, an ANBU captain, no less, not at the frontline for the war against Iwagakure no sato (Stone Village)?"

'_I knew I was forgetting something! I should have paid more attention to Iruka's history lessons at the academy,'_ Naruto thought ruefully. _'Damn, how do I justify not being involved in the war?' _

Leaving the sannin's question unanswered was not an option and with the trust between them at such a delicate stage, he could hardly reveal the truth, for even he found it hard to believe. On the other hand, he was sorely lacking in information of current events, so he couldn't fabricate an overly detailed explanation without the added danger of being exposed. And as skilled as he was at lying, he didn't want to bring more suspicion upon himself from Tsunade if he were caught.

The blond's brows furrowed in thought. _'Anko-san did say bending the truth was better than feeding someone outright shit. Feh, but there's so little that I can say even if I do bend the truth...'_

He swallowed a resigned sigh as he settled on an excuse; it was hardly satisfactory, but it would have to do for now. He was sure Tsunade wouldn't buy it in the least, not to mention he felt guilty as hell keeping the truth from her, but considering the alternatives… Adopting a grim expression, albeit a little contrite, he spoke.

"The mission was a top-priority S-class. I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama, but specific information is classified." Then the severity disappeared and his voice assumed a light-hearted tone. "Is it correct for me to believe you were the one that healed me?"

The sannin looked up sharply at his evasive response, her eyes hard and shrewd. The blond man attempted to smile serenely, if not reassuringly. Naruto knew she was gauging him. Judging him. So, instead of shying away from her piercing gaze, he faced her unresistingly just as he had always done.

* * *

Tsunade was not known for having great faith in anything, especially people. After all, betrayal in its many forms had been her constant companion for as long as she could remember. Her lover, her brother, her mentor…three times she had been scorned either through death or abandonment. So the question wasn't whether she was capable of trusting him, but whether she could survive the bitterness of false hope again.

She didn't know. She didn't _want_ to know. And somehow Tsunade felt that the mysterious Zokutou Sansai would keep her blissfully ignorant of that unwanted knowledge or at least try his damned best to do so. So in the end it all rested upon the question of whether she _wanted_ to trust him.

And she wanted to very much.

Oh, at first she had been very reluctant. She still was to a certain degree, especially when she considered the fact that 1) she'd never heard of his surname existing in Konoha; 2) he had in his possession a kinjutsu scroll of unidentifiable nature. It had been soaked in blood. A lot of people's blood. That alone was enough to set her on edge; and 3) he had remnants of a broken seal – also of unidentifiable origins, that only appeared when she had applied chakra – on his torso.

Tsunade may not have been an expert of seals – meaning she didn't know all the mechanics of them – but she did know about a lot of them. And she'd never seen the one on Sansai's stomach. It looked almost like it was a combination of two that had been forcefully broken at one point. She idly wondered if it was a personal creation…that would certainly make sense.

And despite all the valid reasons she had to doubt him, Tsunade could not ignore the inexplicable pull she felt towards the mysterious young man. Perhaps it was because he reminded her of someone.

Several someones, in fact. She could see Dan's kindness in his eyes and Nawaki's playful nature flitting just beneath the surface. Then there was simply…him. Zokutou Sansai, if that was even his actual name, she thought amusedly.

His very presence was an ambiguity. No matter how degrading her opinion was of her birth place, she knew Konohakagure was not remiss in its strategic maneuvers, especially in times of war. And though Tsunade did not know how valuable Sansai was as a shinobi, she could not see the logic of having an ANBU captain on the opposite side of his country from where the front line of the war against Iwagakure no sato was taking place.

Well, the only sure way to find out more about Sansai was to let him stick around. So, for the moment, she'd give him the benefit of the doubt. Tsunade could only pray that her abysmal history with gambling wouldn't come and bite her in the ass.

The sannin was, however, sure about one thing. Whether her findings exploded in her face or turned out to be gold, she had an unshakable conviction that Zokutou Sansai was going to turn her world upside down.

* * *

"Of course, who else do you think had the skill to restore you from your pitiful state?" Tsunade smirked. Before he had a chance to retort, the door opened to reveal a curious Shizune.

"Tsunade-sama, the rooms are ready," she spoke softly, still wary of the stranger on the bed. Smiling, Tsunade summoned the child to her side and introduced the amused man.

"Shizune, this is Zokutou Sansai. He's an ANBU of Konohakagure. I believe he will be staying with us until he is completely healed before heading back to Konoha." Despite her friendly tone, Tsunade's expression darkened at the mere mention of the village.

'_Looks like I'll have to work on that grudge 16 years early…' _Naruto frowned thoughtfully.

Shizune immediately brightened at the new information. Although she loved her shishou and understood the reasons for the sannin's aversion towards Konoha, it was still her home and she missed it. "Nice to meet you, Sansai-san!" She greeted him cheerfully.

"Nice to meet you, too, Shizune-chan," he smiled. It was just too adorable, not to mention hilarious, to see that someone who had been older than him was suddenly much younger than him. He turned back to Tsunade. "So, I'll be staying, will I? Then I'm going to need some clothes…"

"Ah, don't worry about that," she waved a hand, dismissing his concerns. "I'll supply you until you're well. You can pay me back later, alright?"

"Sure," he spoke, getting up from the bed. "But for now," his stomach attested its state with a ferocious rumbling. The blond shinobi blushed and scratched the back of his head, "I think my stomach takes priority," he laughed sheepishly as Shizune giggled.

"Are you sure you have enough strength to go out?" The older woman asked with concern.

Naruto patted his stomach and puffed up his chest. "Of course, I'm never one to miss out on food!"

The sannin snorted, shaking her head as she walked out the door, "Okay then, let's go. No use dawdling here." Shizune cheered as she bounced out after her guardian.

Smiling, Naruto made to follow the two females but faltered in his stride as a he was gripped by a sudden unease. Unobtrusively, he peered at his surroundings, blue eyes narrowing in suspicion as the shadows in the doorway leading into the hall began to stretch.

'_A shadow user? I can't be the target…my appearance can't have been noticed by an enemy so soon. It must be obaa-chan.' _Righteous anger flared within him.

Immediately, Naruto scoured the inn with his senses, searching for a hostile chakra.

Nothing.

Undeterred, he spread his senses even further, encompassing the town.

Still nothing.

He frowned grimly. If the shadow user could control his element without even being in the vicinity, there was no doubt the individual was strong. Very strong.

He turned his awareness towards the shadows themselves, smirking. _'You won't get away from me that easily.'_

Screw finding the fucker, if Naruto could just identify the culprit's chakra signature, his heightened senses could follow the trail right back to the source. And whoever was waiting at the other end of the line would not be receiving a warm welcome.

However, when the blond searched the shadows for the familiar feeling of chakra, he stood stumped as he again encountered nothing.

No chakra, no chi, no ki, no life-force at all. Just a dark emptiness. A chilling and terrifying emptiness. He was frozen, storm blue eyes widening with incredulous disbelief.

'_The shadows…they're moving on their own…' _

For the first time, Naruto felt his ingrained, battle tactical skepticism warring with an impulsive, superstitious alarm.

He felt a flash of panic as the shadows rose off the ground and peeled off the walls slowly, almost tauntingly. The ones coating the walls reached out with curling tendrils, surrounding the forms of the two females, not constricting but simply hovering. Menacing.

The shadows from the ground spread like a poisonous miasma, spectral, but still opaque with ill intent.

Moments passed and the two females walked farther away from the panic-stricken, blond man, seemingly unaware of the shadows reaching out to smother them.

'_Why? Why can't they see them?'_ Naruto questioned frantically within his mind. Tsunade and Shizune's forms were almost completely obscured in darkness now; only a last bit of color, of light, visible from their faces.

Cheerful faces, oblivious to the imminent danger.

Naruto's chest constricted painfully as he drew in a panicked breath, his arm flinging out almost desperately, attempting to grasp something illusive at the two females' backs within his tired hand.

His mind was pounding with his own screams telling him to protect them. To help them. To move, god damn it!

He took a triumphant step forward.

"Sansai? What are you doing?" Tsunade's voice interrupted his victorious feat, a fine eyebrow quirked in puzzlement at his silence. At her side, Shizune graced him with a curious stare, a hand held up to her face to block the stream of light flooding the hallway from a nearby window.

Startled, Naruto blinked. The two females quietly awaited a reply while he gathered his thoughts. He drew a blank.

'_Wha-what was I just doing?'_ He frowned. Peering at his surroundings in a bewildered haze, he searched for something amiss – nothing - when he noticed his outstretched arm.

The blond stared at his stray appendage in confusion, wondering what he had been trying to do. His arm dropped lifelessly to his side. He fought to keep the feelings of uncertainty, suspicion, and frustration from appearing on his face as he wracked his memory for an explanation to his actions, to his cold-sweat drenched body, to the foreboding feeling of dread hovering at the edge of his senses.

Shaking his head, Naruto looked up, finally noticing his companions' growing impatience. He offered what he hoped looked like a cheerful smile, and while Shizune took it a face value, he could tell Tsuande wasn't fooled.

"Is something wrong, Sansai?" The concern in her voice soothed him. "Sansai?" She inquired again. He opened his mouth to tell her about his unease but stopped.

'_Naruto, you brat. Look, you're making her worried again. You didn't come back all this way just to make her worry again,'_ he scolded himself, looking quite contrite. He gave her a weak smile, his eyes closed in happy, upside down u's in an effort to hide the apprehension in his expressive eyes.

"Maa, you worry too much, Tsunade-san," he replied cheerfully, but she only narrowed her eyes.

"Sansai." This time her voice was stern, demanding a straight answer.

'_Stubborn as always, ne? Tsunade baa-chan.'_ Naruto sighed and offered her a slightly stronger smile. "Iie, Tsunade-san. There is nothing wrong," he motioned his hands in placating gestures. She frowned, biting her bottom lip in thought, but was forced to let the issue go when Shizune tugged on her pants.

"Tsunade-sama? Aren't we going to go eat?" The twelve-year old questioned impatiently, unaware of the strange atmosphere surrounding the two adults. The older woman smirked in response.

"Of course, Shizune. It'd be best if we did since Sansai can't seem to stay focused with his stomach empty," she spoke wryly.

"Hai!" The young girl giggled and proceeded down the inn stairs, dragging her guardian along with her. Tsunade spared Naruto one last glance before allowing herself to be tugged down the stairs.

Naruto paused a moment longer before following his female companions, mulling over his strange lapse of awareness. Although he truly wished to believe his own words of reassurance to the sannin, he knew something was wrong. But to his dismay, he had not the slightest idea of what.

It was no little thing for him to be caught completely unaware of his surroundings or his own actions…that just wasn't something allowed of a shinobi during the war, had he any wish to live. He wasn't the best chakra manipulator despite his large reservoir of it, but he was good enough to tell when someone had messed with his head…wasn't he?

'_This isn't good,'_ Naruto thought grimly. Something…not right was happening. And at the moment, he didn't have a defense against it if he couldn't even tell what the hell had happened.

Perhaps…just perhaps it was a blackout and not some underhanded ploy? Sure, he'd never suffered them before, but with the strain of the Kyuubi's extraction and the scroll, he wasn't in the best condition.

'_Yes, there is nothing wrong. I'm probably still stressed out from using the scroll…there's nothing wrong.'_ A wave of absolute relief washed over him as he walked through the lobby and allowed a genuine smile to spread across his face as he saw the two females waiting for him.

When Naruto finally allowed himself to relax and push his concerns aside, he wondered at the irritable feeling in the recesses of his mind. It almost felt like he had forgotten something important and his mind was trying to get him to remember…

But he was tired from the constant suspicion of his battle sharpened mind. So he pushed his dark thoughts away, and along with them, the memory of being suspicious and worried in the first place.

Desperate and strained as he was, he never noticed that the calm and reassuring presence of darkness in his mind was not his own.

* * *

"So," he drawled, quirking his eyebrows at the many appraising gazes fixated on him, "what do you think of this one?"

He gave an extra manly twirl for inspection. Several appreciative "mmhmm"s and "oohh, definitely"s rang throughout the shop. However, Naruto was unconcerned but for the responses of the two females in front of him.

Tsunade walked around him, one hand on her chin and the other across her midriff as she scrutinized his newest assemble of clothes. Her expression was contemplative and her glance lingered on his back. Shizune's face held an expression of fierce concentration as she imitated the other women in the shop, uttering occasional "mmhmm"s.

Naruto patiently awaited the verdict. The sannin stopped in front of him, her eyes giving him a last once over before she lit up with a smile. "Outfit number 11, good to go!" The women in the clothes shop cheered as he released a sigh of relief.

"Women," he muttered as he went back into the changing booth, "why are they so picky about clothes? And they take so long… And what the hell was wrong with that orange shirt?" He grumbled as he shirked the outfit off. He whimpered pitifully, leaning against the side of the booth. "Tsunade-san!" He called through the booth, "I'm hungry! I thought we were going to get food first!"

"No, not yet! One more, alright! One more and I promise I'll feed you!" Her voice responded. His head drooped in defeat.

"That's what you said 10 outfits ago!" Her only response was to throw more articles of clothing over the door into his booth. He huffed as a pair of pants landed on his head. "Fine! Just this last one, and then I'm outta here, clothes or no clothes! Being butt naked won't stop me from eating!" He declared vehemently. The perturbed blond glared at the door as he heard muffled giggles, but he proceeded to change nevertheless.

The group had been on its way to a nearby restaurant when he was suddenly lifted up into a pair of womanly arms. Before he could make sense of what was happening, he had been deposited in front of a mirror. A pile of clothes had been shoved into his arms and then he was ordered to strip and dress, strip and dress, strip and dress…

The torturous cycle continued and he managed to endure it only because of the aforementioned promise of being fed. Now, Naruto cursed his compliancy.

He'd known that Tsunade was a slave driver in the future, but he hadn't known that she was worse in the past until now. He bemoaned his misfortune to face the younger version of his Godaime. At least Shizune was cute, he consoled himself.

Naruto didn't bother to even look at the clothes they tossed at him anymore. Once he was done dressing, he trudged out for inspection once again. He was surprised when he heard Tsunade crow - "Yes! That's definitely a winner!"- as soon as he stepped out. Curious as to what outfit had won the immediate approval of the picky woman, Naruto spared a glance at his current outfit.

His glance became a stare. A very long and contemplative stare.

Naruto had always wished to be taller when he was young, and although he had reached a respectable height of 5'10", he was far from being the tallest of his peers. Whether it was due to genes or malnutrition from ramen, he never acquired a bulky, muscled physique either. Instead, he was slim-toned and wiry, which accented his predatory grace. And the outfit he was wearing emphasized his sleek and power-coiled body to the max.

(2) His "shirt" was actually a sleeveless vest of thick cotton with a high collar and metal zipper in the front. The zipper was only up halfway, exposing a good amount of his upper chest and neck. It was the same shade of color as his ANBU uniform, and just as form-fitting. But the real kicker was the black leather straps that "x"ed across his torso.

His lower body sported loose cargo pants with zippered pockets on the thighs. Good for storing weapons, Naruto supposed. And to top it off, a long strap of black leather wrapped around him, resting low on his hips. On his feet, he wore black leather boots with high laces, but they were mostly hidden by his pants.

On his hands, he wore leather gloves of similar design to what Sakura had adorned shortly after her apprenticeship with Tsunade. They stopped right at his wrists, without straps or buckles, but still had a snug yet comfortable grip.

Overall, he was donned with a whole lot of leather and tight fitting accessories of clothing. Naruto thought the outfit would either give the impression that he was a bad-ass or that he was decidedly kinky.

His nose wrinkled in thought. While in all honesty Naruto had to admit he'd been quite adventurous in his sexual exploits with Kakashi - he ignored the sharp pain of sorrow at the thought of his lover – they'd never delved into the realm of _bondage._ Of course, now that he thought about it, it could have simply been because they'd never had the opportunity for such…eccentricities in the tightly packed camp.

'_Meh,' _Naruto shrugged. The blond wasn't quite sure about the outfit, but the general populace in the store seemed to think it was the best thing on the face of the planet. So he supposed it would have to do. He was more concerned about being fed than his appearance.

"Come on, Sansai! You're going to wear that outfit out of here," Tsunade declared, dragging him over to the cashier. She proceeded to bargain the prices of his clothes with the owner, their squabbling rising above the murmuring of the other customers. Naruto brushed off the furtive glances and turned towards the full-length mirror.

He conceded that the outfit wasn't bad. But he still mourned the loss of his usually bright clothing. In the future, dark clothing 24/7 had been a necessity to survival. He'd actually been looking forward to wearing something bright again since he was in the past, but Tsunade seemed to violently disagree with his tastes.

(3) Sighing, he brushed his hand through his hair, fingering the wild spikes as he glanced at the barely perceptible whisker marks on his cheeks. His hair was longer towards the front, the ones on the sides of his face reaching his chin. Shortening towards the back, they were clearly gravity defying on the top as far as he was concerned. Maybe he needed a haircut?

"Ne, Tsunade-san," he interrupted without turning towards her. "Do you think I should get my hair cut?" he tugged on his bangs plaintively. He recoiled in shock when the whole store answered with an emphatic "NO!"

"Umm, okay. I was just asking…" he backed away cautiously towards Shizune. She seemed to be the least threatening compared to the other women who were glaring at him as if he had spoken sacrilege. Instead of refuge, however, he encountered rebuke when Shizune frowned, stepped forward and kicked him in the shin with all her 12 year old might.

He yelped in pain, cringing as his shin throbbed. "Sansai-san no baka!" She declared. With that, she stomped over to her shishou who was stifling her laughter. He glared at the two females.

Straightening, he attempted to appear dignified as he growled two words. "_Food_. _Now_."

"Alright, alright," Tsunade rolled her eyes. Naruto's eyes narrowed. Just for that, he wasn't going to hold back his appetite. Everything edible within his sight ought to beware, for he was going to devour them all!

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go," she ushered him out, Shizune trailing behind him as she exchanged goodbyes with the store owner.

* * *

No one moved.

Everyone was frozen in place, paralyzed with a mixture of bizarre awe and stupefying horror. The source of their attention was the lone blond man sitting in the middle booth. He was like a wild animal, jaws snapping, hands clawing, slurping and snarling as he viciously attacked his food.

One of the customers trembled and keeled over in a dead faint, unable to handle the gruesome scene before her. Naruto watched her fall to the floor and smirked around a mouthful of food, putting extra effort into the next contented growl he emitted.

Nothing was safe from him. Once he had finished his own 6 plates, he had moved onto his companions' meals. Unsatisfied, he resorted to snatching food from passing waiters.

Inside, he cackled at his brilliantly insidious plot of revenge. Never would Tsunade subject him to the torture of clothes shopping and forget to feed him again. He would make sure of it.

He was reaching for another plate when Tsunade finally broke free from her appalled daze and brought her fist down to smack him upside the head. He shot through the table and into the floor with a loud boom announcing his painful impact.

"Oww," he grunted. "Wha-hah a-hor?" He scowled while digging himself out of the ground, still chewing food.

'_Uh-oh…'_ his eyes widened in trepidation as a blood vessel pulsed on the blonde woman's forehead. _'Hehehe, maybe I went a little overboard?'_

She smiled forcefully at him, an eyebrow twitching and her eyes promising retribution.

'_Hey, now! No revenge on the poor injured, starving, irresistibly handsome and suave shinobi! 'sides, you deserved it!'_ He cried petulantly within his mind, doing his utmost to convey his thoughts through his wide blue eyes and affronted expression.

Of course, the innocent look was rendered useless by his food-stuffed cheeks and specks of slobber on his face.

Tsunade sighed, using her fingers to squeeze the bridge of her nose, trying to keep the inevitable migraine at bay. How the formerly dignified and mysterious man could degenerate himself into a slob over food was beyond her.

"Fine, I learned my lesson. No more clothes shopping for you, and never put off feeding you. Satisfied?" She looked down to see him nodding vigorously. "Alright then, let's get out of here," she stood up. "Shizune, it's safe to come out now," she called out towards an overturned table.

Cautiously, the girl poked her head out from behind the table where she had taken shelter from the flying specs of food. "A-ano…Sansai-san, he's okay now? He's not going to eat me?" She asked, glancing worriedly from him to her shishio. Naruto choked on the food in his mouth.

Her words created a completely different connotation to his ears. "Cradle-robber, cradle-robber" bounced around in his head. Unwanted thoughts about the dilemma of Kakashi flooded his mind.

'_Is it possible that kids have instinctive radar for people like that? I wasn't seriously considering of wooing Kakashi until later…'_ he sweated. _'Damn, now I feel like some shifty geezer out to get some from a poor unsuspecting kid.'_

"What made you think I was going to eat you, Shizune-chan?" He laughed nervously. She peered at him doubtfully.

"Sansai-san, you were eating everything within sight! It was like a vaccum sucking everything into your mouth! I swear I felt wind! I was afraid I'd get sucked in, too…" she murmured. Tsunade snickered.

"Yeah, Mr. Vacuum shinobi-san, don't you think you over did it? Hmmm? She was afraid of getting sucked into your big mouth!" Tsunade sneered playfully. He snorted.

"In case you forgot, it was your fault," he retorted, wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand as he sauntered towards the entrance of the restaurant.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Tsunade pointed an accusing finger at his back.

"Gotta work off all this food," he replied sheepishly, casting a playful glance over his shoulder at the gaping woman. "Thanks for the food, Tsunade-san! I'll see you back at the inn!" He snickered and disappeared from sight just as a table was sent flying through the door.

* * *

**Brightly Burning:**

_Tribute to the Kyuubi _

…Naruto struggled weakly against the restraints that held him immobile on the bloodied ground. Though his thoughts were sluggish from his profuse loss of blood, he was vaguely aware of the ongoing battle around him. Grunting, he attempted to sit up but flopped back over midway from the lack of strength and coordination.

The blond gave a put-upon sigh and frowned. Really, he should have felt a bit more concerned of how his friends were faring against the Akatsuki, but in his drug induced lethargy – courtesy of Sasori of the Sand – he couldn't quite bring himself to worry.

'_Hmmm…'_ was his non-committed thought as he flopped around again.

A flash of light and searing heat caught his wandering attention. The blond squinted as a blackish-blue blur shot past him. Idly, he realized that the blur was actually two people who looked remarkably alike. _'Ah, it's gotta be Sasuke and his brother.'_

Clearing his throat, Naruto made an attempt to call out. "Oi!" His voice rasped. He was ignored. "Oi, Sasuke!" He yelled a bit louder and grinned in triumph as one of the blurs separated after a large explosion and jumped towards him.

"Che, only you would get drugged up and then be stubborn enough to fight and end up getting caught, moron," was the gruff response. Sasuke was mildly injured in multiple places and panting heavily for air. The blond frowned in a combination of worry and indignation at the earlier comment. He opened his mouth to say something in his defense but was waved off by a curt hand signal.

"Not now, Naruto," the Uchiha spoke agitatedly. "Do you still have the fur-ball?" The blond felt an irritated flare of crimson chakra inside him from said fur-ball. The tied up shinobi fell silent and his cerulean eyes unfocused momentarily as he conversed with the youma. Sasuke watched curiously, one eye trained on the rubble at the opposite side of the cavern where Itachi had been thrown by his katon jutsu.

Naruto looked back up, his eyes still glazed from the drugs. "Kyuubi says he's not a fur-ball." Another pause. "And that he thinks you're an ass." The raven-haired man snorted, wiping his forehead to keep blood from dripping into his eyes.

"Well, tell the fur-ball he ought to make himself useful. The almighty bijuu can't even defend himself or his host, how pitiful. I don't understand by the Akatsuki would want such a useless creature," Sasuke mockingly sneered, smirking as Naruto's eyes flashed with a streak of crimson.

'**PITIFUL! USELESS! Why that no good scrawny - #$#!' **a guttural snarl boomed in the blond's head.

'_Oi! Shaddup! My head hurts!'_ Naruto whined in complaint. He could tell the bijuu was pacing furiously within his cage, occasionally snapping at the iron bars.

'**Your head is going to be the least of our problems if we don't do something!'** Naruto muttered a petulant _'Go away!'_ and turned his figurative back to the Kyuubi. The nine-tailed beast growled reprovingly.

The bijuu bared his canines at the enormous statue towering over his host within the cavern, fur bristling with intense dislike…no, hate. As a demon there was very little the Kyuubi had not seen in his long existence. He had long been exposed to the uplifting and despicable nature of both demons and humanity. Consequently, it was rare for him to face something that innately unsettled him. And much to the Kyuubi's disgust, the Genryuu Kyuu Fuujin (Complete Nine Mystical Dragon Seal) did just that too well.

The "King of Hell" statue was currently dormant, its multiple eyes and mouth bound with chains, but its seemingly harmless state did nothing to detract from the heavy, looming unnaturalness of the jutsu's aura. It was…tainted. The Kyuubi had no other way to describe it. It was a danger. An unprecedented danger that not even he, the great Nine-tailed demon of the bijuus, was prepared to face.

And in face of that danger, the Kyuubi allowed himself to be truthful for once. Truthful about his thoughts, feelings, situation, and as much as he disliked the word…limitations. There had been a time when he had greatly resented Naruto for his captivity. He would have liked nothing more than to escape and tear the boy apart before decimating his village. But as time passed the boy had managed to change him, and to his chagrin the Kyuubi couldn't truthfully say that the changes were entirely unwelcome.

The kitsune had seen many mortals fight against the odds and fall, lose faith, and never get back up. But Naruto stood again and again. Most of it was strength of will and sheer determination, but behind the blond's mask there was a whisper of power and ruthlessness; those were qualities that the Kyuubi could appreciate and respect. Such bestial instincts likened the blond to the demons, yet the potential destructive chaos was tempered by the human's love and protectiveness. It was a balance that intrigued him.

And through the ever growing intrigue the Kyuubi found a kindred spirit within the mortal, which of the likes he'd never encountered even amongst his own kind. Not that the great bijuu would ever admit he'd actually grown fond of the brat.

'**Humph.'** Despite his self-proclaimed superiority as a demon, the Kyuubi had been unable to attain certain things…things that no amount of power could grant him. Things that many warriors would label as petty and weak. Things that no usual demon desired. But then again he'd always been a bit unusual, much like his host.

At the time of his first defeat ever by the hands of Naruto's father, the Kyuubi had cursed humanity and the innocent babe that would be his cage with many a foul tongues. Yet, what he'd angrily believed to be his damnation had actually become his means of salvation. The nine-tailed fox demon could still taste the irony. The very word "salvation" associated with a demon of his caliber seemed laughable, but the kitsune was convinced that was what it was. And because of that the Kyuubi felt he was greatly in debt to the young blond shinobi; he felt refreshingly humbled.

Humbled enough to see the near hopelessness of the current situation. Naruto may have had great faith in his companions' capabilities, but the Kyuubi was far more realistic. He could already see them tiring against the band of missing-nins.

The Shadow User was down on his knees clutching a deep wound in his gut, while one of the White-Eyes shielded him, palm outstretched and veins bulging. The second generation of the vile Green-Thing was dashing after his opponent, his usual nonsensical speeches subdued. Ah, and the Big-Breasted Woman was here as well. That was unusual; surely she should have been tucked safely away at base camp?

The others were out of his line of sight, but the bijuu already knew who else was there…and who wasn't. He shared his container's pain for the loss of companions as well as Naruto's determination not to lose more. And off chance there was a way to gain them all back, would it be worth the risk? Yes, if there was the possibility to avoid this broken reality any price would be acceptable to pay.

But for now the Kyuubi had to work with what was left here. He needed to wake his host up to save what was left now. Especially since Naruto's life-mate was here.

'**Kit, look at me.'** The Kyuubi demanded the young blond's attention. Naruto, startled by the rare use of the endearment, obeyed. The ANBU blinked wonderingly as he gazed back into a pair of magnificent eyes beyond the iron bars of the cage. Like fire, his intoxicated mind described. Like a passionate flame burning at its peak before it died. Something within him grew sad, and he became agitated because he didn't know why.

'**Naruto, I need you to bear with me. I'm going to flood your system with my chakra and wash the drugs from your blood. It will hurt, but it needs to be done. Your friends are not faring well. They need us. They need you,'** the bijuu spoke firmly. The blond's eyes cleared slightly upon the gravity present in the youma's tone and somberly nodded his head in acquiescence.

'**Good.' **The Kyuubi paused. **'Do you trust me?'** Naruto stared questioningly at the bijuu's almost nervous disposition but nodded without hesitation. **'I'm going to ask the impossible of you, but I see no other way to salvage anything otherwise. This world is too far gone. However, I may be able to give you another chance. This, too, will not be easy, and its success will depend solely on you, for I will not be here to help. Are you willing?' **

Again the blond nodded, now even more curious than before. **'There is not much time, so I will do this quickly.'** The Kyuubi gathered the information he needed and sent it into Naruto's mind through a compact burst of chakra. The demon watched silently as Naruto's expressions changed from confusion, disbelief, and tentative hope. Hope that he had not felt in years.

_'It can really do that? A mere scroll? Why hasn't it been used before?' _Naruto queried. The bijuu laughed.

**'That, you can solve on your own. But be careful. Should you make one mistake, you may cease to exist.' **The blond's eyes widened in alarm. **'No, I will not answer more. What you need to know, you already do. The rest is but troublesome speculation. You must believe you will succeed.' **Naruto nodded, trying to keep the sullen expression off his face. Suddenly, the blond frowned.

_'Wait, what about you? What'll happen to you?'_

'**I suspect that without a body I'll go to the realm of the dead. If not, it's possible I may simply return to the demon realm,'** the demon replied nonchalantly. **'Do not worry. Who knows, there is yet a chance I may see you again.'** Naruto frowned doubtfully. **'It does not matter, you know as well as I that there is no better option.'** The blond frowned even more for he knew what the bijuu said was true.

'_Then…I guess it's good-bye…You know I don't really hate you anymore, right?' _Naruto gazed sadly into the Kyuubi's magnificent eyes. Now he knew why he had felt so sad before.

'**Yes. I have also grown to…tolerate you,' **the bijuu sniffed haughtily and Naruto grinned.**'I suppose a "Good luck, Naruto" is in order,'** the Kyuubi's gaze was soft for once, looking fondly down at his host. **'Make me proud, Kit.' **Abruptly, the demon's expression became stern and forbidding.

'**Prepare yourself.' **That was the last of the Kyuubi Naruto heard.

* * *

**End of "Rekindling the Fire" **

**Part A**

**

* * *

  
**

(1) Zokutou Sansai: Zokutou, a continuous spiral of movement upwards. Sansai, the three Calamities of fire, flood, and storm. I made this alias based off of the fact that "Naruto" can mean maelstrom and the plot will play heavily upon these meanings.

(2)(3): I roughly based Naruto's hair and outfit on Cloud Strife's in the Movie: Advent Children. Naruto's gloves are different though, and he doesn't have half cape/sleeve.

AN: So? Was it good? Lol. Leave a comment, please!


	3. Rekindling the Fire: Part 2B Jan 1, 2009

**Timeline has been switched and ages have been adjusted. Naruto returned to Konoha when he was 15 and became ANBU at 16. He never became Jounin; not b/c of lack of ability, but b/c of lack of time. Konoha was attacked a second time by the Sound when he was 19. Now he is 21, and it is 4 years before his birth.

* * *

****STORY NOTES:**

Naruto's _'thoughts'_

Kyuubi **speech**

(…Flashback scenes…)

* * *

**!IMPORTANT AN!:**

At some point you might think, why so much on this OC? Well, heehee, it's to introduce another character we all love to hate. But well, you'll see for yourself. I wonder if you'll like the twist? I haven't seen anyone else incorporate it before...

* * *

**As The Last Candle Burns**

By: Falling Right Side-Up

"**Sweet Misery"

* * *

  
**

When Naruto didn't report back from his solo mission one day during the first year since Konoha's destruction, most didn't think much of it. With his penchant for trouble, they'd merely brushed his tardiness off as a mild complication. After all, he always pulled through in the end.

But when one day became three, and there was still no sign or contact, people grew worried; they frowned and fidgeted, a restrained anxiousness growing steadily larger. Everyone dealt with the situation a bit differently.

Then when three became seven, Tsunade leapt up in anger, demanding an explanation from the other ANBU as to why they hadn't spotted her wayward shinobi yet. Shizune was spared the worrying as she was away on a mission of her own.

Iruka, now advisor to the Godaime-Hokage, whittled away his pencils with his bare teeth, unable to focus or dictate anything being said in meetings.

Shikamaru sighed and asked why the blonde always had to be troublesome as he walked through the camp, but out of view he pensively scoured over the mission plan he himself had assigned his companion.

Sasuke scowled as usual, but now it was much more pronounced, and one could sense his less than friendly disposition from a farther distance than before. People didn't bother trying to approach him then.

Injured shinobi in the medic tent quickly informed others that it was best to treat their own wounds for a time, as their two head medics both seemed out of sorts, distracted and generally aggravating wounds instead of patching them up.

Sakura was wound up like a tense coil, over-exerting too much strength, bandaging too tightly, stabbing the needle a little too deeply. And Hinata's once trademark clumsiness, something thought to have been outgrown, had returned full force as the littered glass on the ground from countless broken bottles testified.

Neji was more closed off than before if possible, hardly saying a word as the days of waiting increased. But if one dared to look at him directly for a period of time, one could see the veins around his eyes bulging - the tell-tale sign of the Byakugan in action - a little more frequently than usual, always gazing towards the forest.

The rest of the "Rookie-Nine", not generally accustomed to brooding in solitary confinement, chose to worry in a collective group.

Hotheaded as he was, Kiba showed an unusual amount of animosity, always a biting word ready to be said if aggravated. His partner, Akamaru, mirrored his master, fur bristling and teeth bared in a silent growl. Tenten usually stood a ways off from the group, steadily decimating whatever object unfortunate enough to be designated as her target as she worked off her anxiety. Lee was loud and outspoken as usual, but his speeches were a little too long and a little too bright, as if to make up for some unspoken doubt.

But no one was more worried and anxious than Hatake Kakashi. He often prowled the edges of the camp and unleashed his nin-dogs into the forest, frustrated when he ran out of chakra to support the summons and had to dismiss them. And when seven days became eleven, and the others began to reluctantly consider the idea that Naruto wasn't coming back, the silver-haired man grew even more agitated and furious.

He staunchly refused to even humor the idea. Instead, he graced those who did with a stony gaze whenever they tried to coax him from his vigilant post at the camp's outer perimeters. The only ones safe from his acerbic demeanor were Sasuke – who shared his conviction – and the Hokage – who was his superior and was decidedly neutral concerning what to think.

And so, to the rest of "Rookie Nine's" private shame for doubting and Kakashi's pleasure, if not a bit of vindictive triumph, they were absolutely relieved when they received news of Naruto two weeks later. ANBU squad 3 had found the blonde half drowning in a stream a mile off from the outer edge of Fire Country. Quickly, they carried Naruto back to base camp and into the medical care of Tsunade, Sakura, and Hinata.

Their diagnosis was succinct. The blonde was suffering from chakra exhaustion since his recovery was impeded by several severed chakra pathways, but luckily they could be healed given time. There were no signs of broken bones or bleeding wounds, not that the three women expected any, given Naruto's special tenant. Their only cause for worry, really, was the apparent concussion and symptoms of asphyxiation.

Tsunade brushed a tuft of dirty blond hair from the young man's face, a tender smile full of relief on her lips as she concluded, "He'll be fine. The brat just needs some time to recover."

To Kakashi's relief, Naruto was discharged from the medical tent and into his care for the next three days, during which time the jounin did not leave his lover's side unless it was unavoidable. It was on the end of the second day that Naruto woke up.

Sitting on a small cushion with his back resting against the cot occupied by Naruto, Kakashi was reading one of the last volumes of the "Icha Icha" series published before Jiraiya had fallen in battle. He was off duty, so he had replaced the ninja head-guard with a black bandana and had taken off the jounin flack jacket.

Absorbed in his reading material and memories of his sensei's and student's mentor, the jounin was unaware of his lover's affectionate gaze until he felt gentle fingers thread softly through his silver hair.

By habit, Kakashi leaned into the comforting gesture before turning his face towards the hand and kissing it softly through his mask. Naruto smiled and tenderly traced the jounin's lips through the thin black material. He fought off a blush as Kakashi turned around fully to face him, discarding the book on the floor and teasingly nibbling on Naruto's fingers.

"Miss me?" Naruto smiled cheekily.

The nibbling abruptly stopped and Kakashi pinned him with a smoldering gaze, fastening a tight grip on the blond's hand. Naruto's breath caught.

"Naruto, you have no idea." The words were mild, but the silver-haired man's expression was clearly displeased and his eyes presented mild rebuke. A strong arm curled around the blonde's slim waist, pulling him down into the jounin's lap so that his back was against the older man's broad chest.

They sat there in silence, their breaths synchronizing as they soaked in each other's presence.

The blond fiddled with the sleeve of his yukata and Kakashi sighed wearily, resting his chin on Naruto's shoulder. The younger man relaxed into the arms of his lover, sleep threatening to overtake him as the silence stretched on. Then, slowly, the jounin began to speak, his voiced measured and thoughtful.

"As shinobi, one of the first things we're taught is to detach ourselves from our emotions. We're taught to be tools to kill without remorse. But there is always remorse, there is always guilt. We merely bottle it up so we don't have to acknowledge it. The same is applied to the loss of companions…of loved ones."

Naruto leaned into Kakashi's embrace, offering silent comfort and encouragement when the older man paused and slipped into a pensive silence. The blond waited patiently as Kakashi ruminated on his thoughts, gathering the right words to say.

"When someone dies…in reality there's nothing more to it," the jounin began slowly, testing the weight of his own words. "No matter what you do you can never see them again, so there's no use in pondering over what you could have done as opposed to what you can do in the future to prevent it from happening again. That doesn't stop you, of course, from thinking – "What if" or "It's my fault" – anyways. And you'll always miss them." Kakashi paused.

"With people who are alive - it's different. You miss them and the knowledge that you can see them again if you can find them is empowering. But when you realize you can't find them; that you can't help them; that hurts more than anything else. To say it's unpleasant is an understatement. People say there's nothing more shameful than a helpless shinobi. A helpless killer, what a joke," the silver-haired man chuckled, but it was dark.

Kakashi buried his face into the crook of his lover's neck, and then softly, tenderly placed a kiss behind the blond's ear. He whispered teasingly, "So, you know better than to leave me, right?" But the arm around Naruto's waist tightened, an almost uncomfortable pressure that had the younger man holding his breath, and he could feel the slight tremor that ran though the larger frame molding against his back and the uneven shaking in Kakashi's breath against his neck.

Naruto's breathe hitched, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. Despite Kakashi's casual words, the blond knew the deeper meaning implied by them; the infinitely more tender and vulnerable message that was being conveyed. Naruto could only imagine how hard it was for such a private man like Kakashi to vocalize his worries and his guilt, even in such a round-a-bout way to his own lover.

And the blonde felt all the more blessed for it.

Everyone knew Naruto as a happy, determined person. An outspoken goof-ball who wore his heart on his sleeve. Most of the time, it was no challenge for him to shout to everyone what he was thinking at any moment, whether it was the rare insightful thought or his musings of what flavor ramen to eat.

But Naruto left just as many things unsaid.

He wasn't the type to want to burden anyone else, so he liked to boast that he was the best, that he would never give up, and that he didn't need to lean on anyone even though he wanted them to lean on him.

So even when he ran around screaming about bonds and friendship, he rarely said anything about himself. He rarely admitted out loud that he didn't want to be alone. Like he used to be.

It was a deep seated fear that Naruto had harbored all his life inside of him. Hidden, but so painfully there. Undeniable and unbearable.

To those who looked closely, it had always been obvious in Naruto's valiant speeches and ruckus actions that he craved acceptance, understanding, and love. But there had always been few who cared enough to get that close.

He'd never said those painful words. "_Don't go. Stay with me. I don't want to be alone_."

Because saying them would only have made the hurt and suffering seem more real.

Because once upon a time, there had been no one who would have listened.

It was moments like this that Naruto realized just how much he needed and admired the older man. It was moments like this that despite those times he cursed whatever higher beings existed screwing up his life, that he thanked them for allowing him this one happiness.

In a whirl of movement that caught the jounin off guard, Naruto deftly lowered his lover's mask down and pulled him into a passionate kiss, pouring as much support, understanding and comfort he could into it. Kakashi responded with equal fervor, one hand trailing down the blond's back and the other pulling Naruto even deeper into their kiss by a firm grip on his nape.

Neither of them protested even when their lungs burned for air. Their only actions were to press even harder and closer to one another, seemingly as if to do away with even the slightest separation between them. But even when their clothes were off and their bodies draped almost seamlessly against one another, the distance was still too great.

They wanted more. It was a desire closer to need than simple want. Desperation seeped into their passion, a strange mixture of bliss and devastating sorrow that both couldn't help but love and curse.

Even so, it was moments like this that they were happiest. When they could pretend they were not two but one, unshackled from the duties and trials that faced them both. But even this happiness was tainted by the bitter sweetness of reality, because they knew this moment could not last, and soon they would have to plunge back into the grim truth of their dying home, dying companions, and dying hope.

But for now, just this short while, they would both pretend that there was no danger lurking just outside their camp. They would pretend that there was no looming shadow of uncertainty and doubt shrouding their future.

And as they pretended, they hoped that one day it wouldn't be pretend anymore.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Rekindling the fire**

**Part B**

Grunting, Naruto collapsed against the base of a decimated tree with his legs sprawled out in front of him and his arms dead weight in his lap. Almost reluctantly, he made the effort to reach into the small pack he'd brought for a water canteen. Drinking just enough to quench his thirst, he dumped the rest over his head in the hopes of cooling off just a bit quicker. Ninja or not, the blond didn't enjoy the sticky feel of sweat causing his clothes to suck onto his skin.

Naruto surveyed the area around him with a feeling of self-satisfaction and accomplishment. The small clearing in the forest - one he had set up for training - was now noticeably larger and in deplorable condition. A tangle of botched traps, fallen trees, enormous craters, and lingering scent of scorched organic matter were testimony to the long and vigorous training sessions he had held there.

'_Looks like I'll have to relocate soon.'_ Considering that the area had been used routinely in the last two months, it was no surprise that the clearing wouldn't withstand much more abuse.

Since the day he'd woken up in the past, the blond had worked hard to establish a bond between himself and Tsunade, slowly working past the suspicion and painstakingly creating a niche for himself within her life; close enough to be trusted but always at arms length, for he could not afford for her to venture too close to his heart, too close to the still festering hurt that lay beneath the laid-back and welcoming persona he wore as much as for his own sake as hers.

That woman, that big-breasted woman with impossibly bad luck, freakish strength, pig-headed stubbornness and a temper to match, who hated diplomats, shirked all ceremonial duties and drooled on official paperwork…she was heart wrenchingly beautiful in his eyes. She always had been. She always would be.

He doubted she'd ever realize just how much she meant to him. Tsunade had been one of the few in his future-now-past that had seen in him something others did not. What she had seen in him Naruto didn't know, but whatever it was it had been enough for her to care and that was enough for him. And now the younger, infinitely more stubborn, and substantially less wise Tsunade seemed to see something in him as well; that was a gift horse that he would not look in the mouth.

As the blond had expected, getting closer at first to Tsunade and Shizune had caused him pain by reminding him of what he'd lost or left behind. However, in a twisted sense of comfort, the anguish reaffirmed his determination to live his new life dedicated to everyone he'd let down, and that in turn soothed him; he could not allow himself to burn out, to lose conviction of his purpose.

He sighed heavily. Training, as beneficial as it was, would be fruitless unless he applied his skills in the war. Konohakagure's struggle against Iwakagure was seemingly at a stalemate. Though Konoha's nin were stronger – of course they would be, Naruto snorted, they had the freaking original "Yellow Flash" – Iwakagure outnumbered them in terms of sheer cannon fodder.

Naruto's head fell back and hit the tree behind him with a "thunk" as he gazed at the stars in silence.

'_One more month and I'll be done with the Tsunade's crash course. Just one more month…and I'll leave.' _But until then, he could still enjoy his time with his female companions, couldn't he?

* * *

A month later…

"Shit! I thought this was only a FRIENDLY spar!"

At this point, Naruto didn't really care that he was cursing in front of a minor. Besides, Shizune seemed to find his current predicament amusing, if the little cretin's childish giggle was anything to go by. The harried blond spared the young girl sitting just outside the training area a peeved glance, to which she responded with a cheeky wave.

'_I can't believe I thought she was cute!'_

He grimaced and scuttled on the ground, barely avoiding a boulder that whooshed past his head. Without pause, Naruto propelled himself off the ground with an exaggerated handstand as a scalpel flew past his leg, flipped back onto his feet and dove into a large crater left behind from a previous attack earlier that day.

Taking a calming breath, Naruto racked his brain for a countermeasure against the full blown assault on his person, courtesy of the smirking woman who was currently trying to uproot a tree to use as a club. At the sound of a smug and heinous cackle, he peeked over the edge of the crater and groaned at the sight.

Tsunade's eyes were lit with unholy glee, swinging the aforementioned tree back and forth in her arms like a child trying out a new toy, while she advanced towards his position.

"Come out, Sansai~! It's almost been three months, surely you can stand a bit more pain after all this training with me," the sannin cajoled.

The blond man rolled his eyes as he collapsed back into a sitting position inside the crater. Naruto shook his head exasperatedly as he replied, "No _freaking_ way!"

"Freaking" being the operative word. He'd thought Tsunade had been scary enough when she was a granny, but knocking 26 years off her was like seeing her on Supped up Ninja pills. His whole definition of "freakish strength" had been redefined.

Sometimes, he wondered about the conundrum that was Tsunade. Being a shinobi required stealth and precision, like a sniper in the dark. The sannin was more like a runaway tank.

But even so, she was a damn good ninja, Naruto thought exasperatedly.

"How 'bout this. I win, you buy me sake and Shizune ice-cream. And if, IF, you win, I'll buy you that unhealthy crap you call food," Tsunade wheedled. She smirked when she heard Naruto's affronted gasp.

"One, Tsunade-san, that 'unhealthy crap' is called RAMEN. Two, I agree it's unhealthy, but it's not crap! And three…you've got yourself a deal!" A blond blur sprang towards the sannin from the crater in front of the grinning woman.

"Fool, what did I say about rushing at your opponent head on! I can easily overpower you!" Tsunade leapt to meet the other shinobi mid-way, drawing her arms back to deliver a quick and powerful blow with the tree in her hands. A second or two before impact, she neared her opponent enough to see his smirk.

Irked, she began to draw even more chakra, planning to release it in a precise burst, but frowned when she found that she couldn't. In fact, Tsunade couldn't even move. She collapsed to her knees, the tree falling away from her hands with a tremendous thud. The sannin searched through her memories for a technique that could cause her sudden immobility but came up empty. She looked up at Naruto with the fiercest glare she could muster.

"What did you do?" Tsunade demanded. The young man merely smiled and wagged a finger.

"Tsk, tsk, Tsunade-san. That would be telling, and a shinobi doesn't just tell anyone his secrets," Naruto teased with a small smile. "But, since it's you, I guess I could make an exception." His eyes softened momentarily, and Tsunade's glare eased. "It was Shiatsu (pressure points)," he stated matter-of-factly.

"What!" the woman exploded, "You didn't even touch me!" she cried out in frustration.

At this point, Naruto settled for a decidedly fox-like grin as he crouched in front of the sannin. "Oh? I didn't?" He questioned innocently. Tsunade narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"No. No, you didn't."

"Hmmm, are you sure?" Her glare returned. She really wished she could move so she could slap the man in front of her upside the head. Instead, she struggled to control her temper and answered him.

"Yes. I'm sure." He shrugged.

"Ok, I guess I didn't then," Naruto agreed. Tsunade smirked in triumph.

"So, it wasn't Shiatsu," she stated with glee, which quickly faded into confusion as he shook his head.

"No, it was definitely Shiatsu. And no, I didn't touch you," he spoke before she could protest. The sannin fumed and opened her mouth to yell but her bellow turned into a high pitched shriek of surprise as something teasingly tickled her sides.

"What the hell?!" Tsunade looked down at herself but saw nothing. Her gaze whipped back up at Naruto's repressed snicker. He mockingly wiggled his fingers at her in a wave, and the invisible something suddenly felt like _somethings._ Surprised once again, the blonde woman could do nothing to stop her sudden explosive laughter as she tried futilely to squirm this way and that to escape. "Stop!" she screamed between breaths. "Sto-OOOP~!" the sudden increase in pitch only caused Naruto to fall back on his butt and choke on his own laughter.

When the blond man had seemingly had his fill of amusement at her expense, the tickling sensation stopped, leaving Tsunade red-faced and breathless, sprawled across the ground. Naruto snickered once again, idly wondering just how much Jiraiya would have paid to see the infamous Slug Sannin like this_. 'He probably would have had enough inspiration to write at least three more Icha Icha books,'_ the blond shinobi mused, a lewd smile spreading across his face. Unfortunately, Tsunade chose that moment to speak.

"Okay. Wha-what was that?" Tsunade questioned breathlessly.

"Nihihihi!" Naruto cackled. "It's my Super-Totally Awesome- Sexy Technique- Variation 3C!" He paused after the exclamation and leered at the blonde woman as he finished, "Zokutou Sansai's Magic Fingers!" He wiggled the fingers of both his hands to add emphasis.

Shizune and Tsunade were both dumbstruck, faces slack with disbelief. Naruto continued to cackle, waving his hands with the wiggling fingers back and forth in front of the blonde woman's face.

A twitch of one fine eyebrow and growing blush on the Slug Sannin's face signaled the impending explosion. "Magic. Fingers. Magic. Fingers?" Her voice rose with each word. "MAGIC FINGERS?!" With a roar Tsunade leapt up, miraculously overcoming her paralysis, and slammed a fist into the still leering man's face.

"Eergk~!" He went flying across the clearing and through the trunks of a couple trees. Shizune watched with wide eyes, frozen in her crouched position at the edge of the clearing.

Tsunade huffed, taking in deep breaths of air to calm her righteous fury. "_YOU!_" She screamed venomously while angrily jabbing a finger in the direction she'd sent the man flying. "I knew you reminded me of someone! At first I thought it was of people I tolerate, but no! It's _him_! That infuriating, sorry excuse for a ninja _PERVERT_!"

A muffled voice responded from somewhere beneath the pile of destruction, "He's not a pervert! And he'd be quite insulted to be called that!"

"Oh?" Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "So you know who it is I'm talking about?" A hand burst out from the rubble and she watched as Naruto dug himself out.

"Of course," the blond man grunted, bringing himself up on top of a fallen tree to look down at Tsunade. He took upon a condescending air and stance, hands on his waist. "The man of whom you speak can be only one person to evoke such strong reactions from a woman like you! He can only be the legendary JIRAIYA! The man -" A feminine scream of fury cut him off.

"I WAS RIGHT! You do know him! That PERVERT!"

"NO!" Naruto immediately rebutted, forming an "x" with his arms across his chest. "The man known as Jiraiya is not a pervert!" the blond man sneered. "He's the greatest man ever to grace the shinobi lands, a _SUPER-PERVERT!_" Naruto exclaimed fervently, ignoring Tsunade and Shizune's once again stupefied silence. "He is the only man brave enough to venture into the territory of the beautiful but dangerous and angry beauties in order to relieve that ailment that plagues all healthy males! _Sexual frustration_!" The blond man did a strange dance and finished with a flourish, voice seemingly filled with admiration and awe.

In truth, Naruto was nearly killing himself by holding in his laughter. Now he knew why Jiraiya had always done this disgustingly embarrassing introduction. It was fun, and the humiliation was well worth the shocked and pained expressions of his audience. But truly, he was only able to do this because he didn't really believe it. After all, he was firmly of the male persuasion. Or should that be Kakashi-suasion? Absorbed in his own contemplations, Naruto didn't hear the psychic screams of horror that rang across the ether from the Slug Sannin.

"Nihihihihi!" The blonde man cackled once more. "My aspiration to model Jiraiya aside, my technique is nothing to laugh at! After all, my 'Magic Fingers' were able to disable you, the fearsome Slug Sannin!" He pointed a damning finger in her direction, nose haughtily upturned in the air.

"Che!" Tsunade came out of her stupor at his statement, face turned down and away, an embarrassed blush stealing across her cheeks. Naruto smirked. "So, what exactly are your…your 'Ma-Magic Fingers'?" Tsunade felt utterly ridiculous even saying the name of his technique and painstakingly tried to suppress the growing blush as she saw Naruto's smirk widen from the corner of her eyes.

"Actually, the technique itself is quite simple," Naruto spoke as he leapt down from the tree trunk to stand in front of her. Shizune brushed off her clothes and trotted over to the adults, also curious of his explanation. "To put it simply, they're just extensions of chakra."

"What?" The blonde woman's head jerked up in surprise, round eyes full of curiosity. "Extending your chakra that far from your body? You must have an almost godly control of your chakra…" Tsunade trailed off in speculation. Naruto shrugged.

"No, not really. It's more brute force and imposing my own will on them. You see, I have a great deal of experience with the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, so I'm used to having to split and spread my own awareness around. So the extensions just feel like limbless, invisible Kage Bunshins that are still connected to me." Tsunade blinked at Naruto's casual mention of using a kinjutsu. But the blond man continued to speak, keeping her from dwelling on that fact.

"I haven't put a lot of charka into them right now so they're not in the visible spectrum. I think only a Hyuuga would be able to see them at this point." Naruto rubbed his neck, tilting his head back to look at the sky. "But if I push all my chakra into them, they would visibly manifest to look kind of like tails." Naruto was still looking up, so he missed the sudden sharp look Tsunade threw at him when he mentioned "tails." It tugged on something in the medic's memory, but she couldn't quite grasp it.

"Tails…How many?" Tsunade questioned absently, still trying to remember what it was that was so important about "tails." This time, it was she who missed the sharp glance thrown her way. Shizune watched both adults quietly but thoughtfully.

"Four," Naruto answered cautiously, noting her preoccupation. Something told him it would be dangerous to let the woman think on it any longer. "Anyways," he exclaimed with sudden cheerfulness, startling Tsunade from her thoughts, "it's time to pay up Tsunade-san!"

"Yeah, yeah," Tsunade huffed.

Naruto grinned with an expression in his eyes that screamed "Praise me, I'm smart!"

"Alight already. You're good, Sansai," Tsunade acknowledged rather ungraciously. "Now let's go," she grumbled.

"Ah, ah. Remember our little wager, Tsunade-san~!" Naruto tsked, rocking on his heels.

"Aw shit. Fine. You'll get your crap." The woman rolled her shoulders and patted the dirt off her clothes, turning around with a grimace.

"It's Ramen! RA-MEN!" the blond male protested vehemently to his companion. Tsunade ignored him, tugging a smiling Shizune along as she walked out of the clearing towards the town.

"Yeah, yeah, crap is still crap," she retorted, smiling at the continued protests sounding from behind her as Naruto jogged to keep up with her.

* * *

Having coerced the two females into eating at a ramen stand for the eighth time in a row, Naruto sat quietly, feeling as if there was a great weight upon his shoulders. His chest felt constrained, his legs felt weak, and his thoughts were in chaos.

He could tell Tsunade was watching him curiously, but he ignored the inquiring gaze in favor of deciphering his wayward feelings. Scratching his chin, he turned around, resting his back against the counter as he appraised the quaint ramen stand.

It was time to go. Naruto had put off leaving for far too long.

Swiveling around, Naruto remained deep in thought as a large bowl of miso ramen was placed before him and mechanically said his blessings as he began to eat. Before he'd even begun to finish his silent musings, his food was finished. Appetite suddenly greatly diminished, he said a polite "thank you" and turned to the two females beside him.

Tsunade was done but Shizune was still eating, alternately staring worriedly at Naruto and her shishou, who was, in turn, gazing straight back at the blond male. And unlike the many times before when Naruto had put up a carefree front to reassure them, this time he couldn't bring himself do anything but stare.

Stare and wonder just how he would survive leaving them behind again.

* * *

Tsunade knew that Sansai would be leaving. She knew because of the pained and uncertain expression on his face all through dinner. So, really, she wasn't all that surprised when she woke up in the middle of the night to feel Sansai's chakra getting further and further away from the inn. She sat up and stared blankly at the door of the adjoining room until she could no longer detect the other's chakra. Slowly, wrapping the open sleeping robe tighter around her, Tsunade got up and opened Sansai's door.

The room was empty except for the neatly rolled up bedding and a small package on top of it. Tsunade picked it up cautiously and sat by the open window of the room, where the full moon's light shone through. She un-wrapped the coarse paper from the package while wondering what Sansai could possibly have left her.

It was a cherry wood box, beautifully stylized on the shallow lid. Tsunade appreciatively traced the artwork with her fingertips, paying close attention to the painstaking detail of the carvings and brush strokes depicting the many hundreds of individual leaves upon a great tree. Delicately, she lifted the lid off the box and peered inside.

There were four scrolls, three side by side on the bottom with a fourth on top, along with a small pouch. Tsunade picked up the fourth scroll on top and opened it.

_Dear Tsunade-san,_

_If you're reading this scroll, then I've already left to rejoin the Iwakagure and Konohagakure war. Truthfully, I should have left much earlier, but I was hesitant to leave your company. Though you may have only known me for three months, I feel as if I've known you for many years. Presumptuous as this may sound, you and Shizune have already become very precious people to me and I hope I have become the same to you. _

She smiled a bit tremulously. No, it wouldn't be presumptuous of you, Sansai, she thought. If she didn't think it would be crazy, she would have thought she'd known him for far longer as well.

_Thank you for the extra training and spars. It never hurts for an ANBU to have medical training. In fact, I would say it should be mandatory for most. _

Tsunade grinned fiercely at that. At least one shinobi agreed with her, even if her own sensei hadn't heeded her advice.

_Forgive me for bringing up old wounds, but I know of your personal history with Konoha, and while I don't condone your actions, I do understand them. _

The sannin frowned. Sansai hadn't mentioned her past at all during his stay. Why did he bring it up now?

_Losing loved ones is a terrible experience, one that will never become easier with time. I know because I've lost many precious people, too. _

She knew it! He was like her.

_That's why I have to go back. _

What? Why? Her mind raced in confusion.

_I have to fight to protect those who are still alive. And even when they've died, I will still fight so that those who are precious to others might still survive._

_What have I done, other than give my enemy less opposition, if I turn my back on the fight? He's gotten rid of two opponents by killing one. I'm not going give my enemy that kind of satisfaction. _

_I'll fight until my dying breath and find a way to fight even beyond that. That way I can strike fear into my enemy's heart and make him regret what he's done. No enemy, however strong and numerous, will convince me to go back on my promise, my nindo, my very existence. _

_If I'm truthful, I know that I might not survive. But everyone dies sooner or later, and I would rather have a glorious, if somewhat bloody death with purpose than to just kick it in old age. However, it's not my intent to preach to you or guilt you into anything. I just supposed you would have liked to know why I do what I do._

Yes, I would have, Tsunade thought solemnly.

_I hope one day we will meet once again. Hopefully within the gates of our mutual home. And to that end, I present you with an incentive to come._

She cocked a skeptical eyebrow.

_As I'm sure you've already realized, I have not been entirely truthful about myself or my circumstances, but rest assured that no matter what I'm still loyal to Konoha. I wasn't lying about being an ANBU captain of Konoha. But if you asked the Hokage who I am, he wouldn't even know of my existence. And I am not one of Danzo's ROOT pets. Interested yet?_

"You bet your ass I am!" the woman hissed.

_I assure you, my explanation is so wildly absurd, you wouldn't believe it even if I explained in this scroll. That's why for now I left you clues, so to speak, until a time we can talk in person again. The first scroll to the right in the box is your first clue. Of course, if you want to examine it you will have to brave your fear of blood, since it's quite soaked from its last use. Good luck! _

_Once you've deciphered the meaning behind the first scroll, you'll be ready to read the scroll in the middle of the container. The last, you won't be ready for a while, but I'd appreciate it if you kept it safe for me. _

Tsunade's eyes darted to the three remaining scrolls in the container. Whatever it was that Sansai was hiding, it was starting to sound more ominous by the second.

_And like any good mystery, what you find will probably give you more questions than answers. Answers you won't receive unless we meet again in person. How's that for incentive?_

_Until we meet again,_

_Zokutou Sansai._

Tsunade groaned as she read the last part. Hands shaking, she set the scroll aside and peered at the aforementioned blood soaked scroll in the container with trepidation. Positioning one of her hands to reach for it, she closed her eyes and snatched it out of the box. With all the speed she had at her disposal she whipped the scroll open with her other hand and set it on the floor before her. Tsunade wrung her hands together anxiously, trying to fight the psychosomatic pains from having touched the blood.

Time passed as she stared at it, first from the inability to decipher what was written underneath the stains of brown rusted blood, and then with growing disbelief. Her wide eyes sped across all the seals, unconsciously inching closer and closer to the scroll. It wasn't until the sun was first making its arrival known through the window behind her that Tsunade sat back abruptly, mouth gaping and hands limp in her lap.

"No way," she said breathlessly. "No way." Tsunade's eyes slid from the blood soaked scroll on the floor to the middle scroll in the container. Hurriedly, she grabbed the middle scroll and spread it out on the floor. Her fingers traced along the writing as she read and paused on one word.

"Tails."

A bark of incredulous laughter escaped her. "Well, Sansai, seems like we're going to be seeing each other very soon."

As she stared out the window towards the morning sun, she never saw the strange shadow reaching out from nothingness like a blind snake as it licked the open, blood soaked scroll on the floor. And as quickly as it appeared, it dissipated like ephemeral smoke and left no trace, so that even Tsunade was unaware as she walked briskly through the very space it had been before.

* * *

Naruto flicked dripping blood off his kunai with a grimace as he leapt through the trees. _'This is completely ridiculous,'_ he growled silently behind his ANBU mask. The journey should have been relatively simple.

It was supposed to have been a quick half-day dash to the northern port of Tea Country, in order to secure a boat ride across the bay to Fire Country. Once inside the borders, a mad six day run should have been sufficient to reach Konoha. From there, he would meet the Hokage (Naruto was looking forward to meeting Sandaime oji-san again) and convince him of his authentic relation to Namikaze Minato (a simple blood test used within most clans would suffice), which would open the floor to the fantastic explanation of his existence, thereby reinstating himself as an official Konoha-nin once again.

At least, that's what should have happened, if discord and strife weren't bosom buddies who loved to stick to his ass like a prickly spur.

What actually happened was more like Murphy's Law times a thousand, especially tailored to fit the Uzumaki Naruto brand of the "O-Shit-O-Meter." His once brilliantly simple plan had turned into a convoluted monstrosity of the world's greatest fuck-up, and he was still having trouble believing that he was in the middle of it all.

Looking back on the start of his journey now, Naruto could definitively say that everything had been shot to hell the moment he'd stepped onto old man Toji's boat. The beginning had been alright, although he'd been nervous about the loud sound of the motor attracting unwanted attention.

Tense and alert, Naruto had been prepared for almost anything, like pirates and for other enemy-nin…not two boats of crotchety old men who were more of a danger to themselves than to him and a pissed off sea monster.

* * *

Naruto waited tensely for the boat ride to end. He was safely disguised as an unassuming civilian male under a henge (disgustingly normal brown hair and eyes in his opinion), but something told him that despite all his efforts that his day was about to get worse. His intuition was proven right when he heard the faint sound of other motor boats in the water.

Soon, the boats were close enough that Naruto didn't even need to use his near supernatural eyesight to plainly see them catching up. The shinobi glanced at Toji to see what the old man made of it, but he seemed completely unaware and entirely focused on lighting the pipe in his hands.

"Excuse me, Toji-san, do you know them?" Naruto asked, pointing a finger towards the two approaching vessels. Toji continued to fumble with the pipe, cursing as he dropped a lit match, and did not bother to turn around and properly answer the young man.

"Do I know who?" he spoke around the mouth of the pipe, bending over to retrieve another match. The boats were close enough now that Naruto could see them brimming with old men, not unlike Toji in appearance, with scraggly beards and plain clothes fit for sailing… except for the fact that they were jerkily waving around what looked like harpoons and oars in a very, very angry manner.

'_Actually, perhaps savagely menacing would be a better description,'_ Naruto thought with increasing alarm. The boats with the old men drew even closer, and now the shinobi could see the wild gleam in their eyes, coupled with their gnashing yellow teeth. '_Okay, bloodthirsty as well,'_ Naruto quickly amended. He didn't bother being polite this time as he addressed Toji; besides, the old man had to be deaf and dumb not to notice the approaching boats by now.

"I'm guessing even if you know them that they aren't your friends!" Naruto shouted and roughly grabbed the old man, forcefully turning Toji around to see the other boats.

Toji's eyes widened, the pipe falling from his gaping mouth. "Oh, lordy, dey foun' me!"

"So you do know them! Who are they? Pirates?" the shinobi questioned, but Toji didn't answer.

"Hold on, sonny, we gotta lose 'em!" the old man shouted. Naruto frowned.

"Exactly how do you expect to lose- erk!" the small boat swerved, knocking Naruto to the floor.

What followed was a wild race all over the bay, all three boats performing impossible maneuvers to evade and chase. Naruto had never been one to fall victim to sea-sickness, but at that moment he was sure he'd be capable of achieving projectile vomit.

Eventually, but not soon enough for Naruto, the chase ended when the two other boats managed to sandwich Toji's boat from the front and back. Roaring, several angry old men came aboard, gesturing angrily at Toji as he pleaded innocence to whatever grievance they held against him. Naruto, repressing his urge to hurl over the side of the boat, could barely make sense of their incensed shouting coupled with atrocious grammar and thick accents. The boat's rocking grew as the men argued, and the shinobi was getting sick of being sick.

"Stop, now!" he screamed almost hysterically, desperate to stop the rocking of the boat. Silence fell as the old men turned to the slightly green looking brunet boy. Unsteadily, Naruto stood up and sneered, although inwardly he was disgusted with himself that he'd succumbed to such a feeble weakness as sea-sickness. With an angry "Kai!" he dispelled the henge, revealing his blond hair and shinobi apparel.

Smirking at the surprised gasps from the group of old men, Naruto crossed his arms and put on his best "I'm a shinobi. An angry shinobi, and you'd best listen to me" face. Then the blond spoke, "Now, I don't know what you-"

"You'll nevah take me back alive!" Toji interrupted, seizing the chance to escape. The old man smacked the other old men off his boat with an oar and kicked the boat blocking the front away. Gob-smacked that a civilian had ignored his "I'm a dangerous shinobi" face, Naruto gaped at Toji's sudden actions and didn't register the fact that the old man was speaking to him.

"Sid' down, boy!" Toji smacked the flabbergasted blond's head with the oar. Naruto obediently sat down and had just enough time to grab onto the side of the boat as Toji started the motor. As they sped away, Naruto glanced back to see the other old men scrambling back into their boats to continue the chase.

"Git back 'ere, you yeller belly!" screamed one particularly vicious looking old man.

Naruto's head whipped back around to face forward_. 'No!'_ the blond thought. _'I am not doing this all over again!' _Toji and the pirates were driving him insane. Another nauseating chase and he was going to lose it completely, and Naruto couldn't let that happen. He was a shinobi. He had a reputation to uphold!

'_I'll- I'll get them before they get me!' _Naruto stood up abruptly with a manic smile, his hands flying through numerous seals.

"Katon: Karyuu Endan (Fire Element: Fire Dragon Flame Blast)!" The blond drew in a deep breath, preparing to unleash his deadly attack-!

And choked on the flames as Toji smacked him with an oar again.

"Wha' do ya think yer doin' boy?! You can't attack 'em!" The old man screamed, eyes bulging. Naruto coughed pitifully, tears leaking from his eyes from the pain of his burnt mouth.

"Why the hell not?! Do you want those pirates to kill you?" The blond shinobi clutched his throat while staring at Toji incredulously.

"Pirates?! Wha' do ya mean, pirates?" Toji spat. Naruto pointedly gestured at the two boats of old men.

"Do angry old men frothing at the mouth and shouting death threats at you while wielding many deadly weapons not mean anything to you?!" Naruto screamed. Toji looked back.

"Er, well-"

"That's what I thought! Now, stop whacking me with the oar and let me get rid of them!" Naruto stood back up.

"No!" Toji grabbed the blond's cloak, pulling him back down. "Dey look a bit rough, but dem geezers ain't pirates!"

"Oh, yes, I'm sure they're just harmless old men!"

"Don' ye talk back like tha' to me, youngin'! De're jus' a bit expressive, dey don' mean no har-"

"_TOJI! You lyin' potbelly!" _

"_I'm a gonna kill you!"_

Toji's mouth snapped shut, but before Naruto had a chance to look smug and say "I told you so," a harpoon sailed through the air and shaved a few hairs off the blond's head. Naruto gaped a few seconds before his face flushed red with mounting anger. Toji gulped and laughed nervously at the blond's darkening expression.

"Now, now, dey didn' mean it!" the old man placated. "De're me family! Brothers, the lot of us! You can't 'arm dem!"

The blond shinobi paused, quirked an eyebrow and peered at the old men in the boats for one long moment.

Okay.

So based on appearance alone he could believe there was some relation between all of them. That still didn't explain the situation though, and frankly, Naruto didn't have time to be dealing with it. He sighed, a mixture of exasperation and annoyance.

"Look, Toji-san, family or not, this can't continue. I'm stopping this now."

Naruto ignored Toji's protests and killed the motor, letting the boat slowly drift and lose momentum. Then he stood up to face the two other boats, now barely a boat's length distance away. Allowing the reservoir of Kyuubi's charka to leak around him, he snarled viciously at the old men.

The blond knew he must have looked extremely frightening with glowing crimson eyes, wild hair and elongated canines, but at this point he couldn't afford to have the old men not fear him. He awaited the thick scent of fear and the sight of their paling faces, but all he got were wide eyes and pointing fingers….that were not pointing at him. It was at that moment that he finally noticed Toji's silent but earnest, almost frantic tugging at his cloak.

"What?!" he snapped. Toji whimpered and pointed up. Naruto turned half-way around to look and was not amused at all by what he saw. What he first thought was a strange solid blue wall, was a pale blue sea serpent/dragon, about half the size of Gamabunta, rearing out of the water and over the boat.

"You have got to be shitting me," the blond deadpanned. The sea monster emitted a threatening hiss seemingly in response, the fins on the side of its head flaring open and its tail skimming the surface of the water agitatedly.

As if the sudden appearance of a giant sea monster wasn't enough, Naruto could feel rapidly approaching chakra signatures from all sides. Quietly as possible, Naruto spoke to the petrified old men. "If you value your lives, don't say or do anything."

Silent shadows flit across the waters and converged towards the still boats, and only Naruto was unsurprised when black clad shinobi rose from the depths of the sea to stand on the waters. The old men remained quiet and had seemingly forgotten their quarrel with Toji as they huddled together, eyes wide with fright and confusion.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as they took note of the twelve Iwa (Rock) and seven Kumo (Cloud) nin. Shinobi from two different villages working together meant they had an alliance, which meant Kumo was also involved in the war. And the only reason why such a large group would be so far from the main battle taking place on the borders of Fire and Rock country was if they were planning a pincer move by attacking the Konoha force from behind their own border.

Quickly, the ire he had felt towards the old men and the sea serpent faded as the more pressing issue of the war and enemy nin became evident. Naruto tensed, reinforcing his balance in the boat as it began to rock again due to the sea serpent's agitation. The foreign shinobi tensed in response, drawing weapons and readying hand seals as they focused alternately on the giant sea monster growing steadily more incensed and the lone shinobi from Konoha. Neither the enemy nin nor Naruto were willing to make the first move, unwilling to draw the sea serpent's undivided attention.

Suddenly, the beast lashed out with a roar, swiping its tail across the waters. Several of the enemy nin jumped out of the way, and Naruto quickly tossed Toji into one of the other two boats as the one he'd been in was instantly smashed to pieces. The blond pushed the two civilian filled boats away to a safe distance near the shores of Fire Country with a charka enforced foot as he stood on the churning water. Again, all the nin came to a standstill, unable to engage in battle with the raging serpent so close by, liable to lash out without warning.

'_At this rate, the fight will never finish,'_ Naruto thought. The sea serpent had to be taken out before the blond could focus on dispatching the Iwa and Kumo nin, but he couldn't do that safely without getting rid of the enemy-nin first. The only choice left was to get rid of them all at the same time. He hoped some of the enemy nin survived what he planned next, not out of mercy, but because he needed at least one of them alive from which to beat out information.

Naruto's determination seemed to deepen his emotions and chakra like a dark abyss, whirl pooling down, down, down until a time it could hold no more and would have to explode out once again; the deceptive calm before the storm. But for now, the only sign of the growing danger was Naruto's voice, a foreboding and serene, yet guttural dual tone as he raised a hand toward the sky and calmly announced, "Raiton: Ikazuchi no Kiba (Lightning Bolt Fang)."

No one had a chance to react as the sky darkened with dark, ominous clouds rapidly gathering overhead, and the very air shook with the rumbling of thunder. The old men flinched, the energy and static in the air so thick that it stung their skin. Then, after one tense moment of silence, the world exploded into a blinding vision of white, a solid column of lightning striking down from the heavens.

* * *

Toji was not a normal person since he didn't come from a normal family, but he wasn't outlandishly abnormal or extraordinary either. So if he'd been asked at any point in his life, if he'd ever imagined even the possibility of the current situation, his answer would have been a blank stare or maybe an incredulous laugh.

He was fifty-seven years old this year and believed that all the good in his life had already come and gone. Hailing from a large and primarily nomadic family, his life had been spent mastering numerous trades to make a living. A carpenter, a fisherman, a food stand owner, a tradesman, and currently a ferryman. All his siblings and relatives had lived similarly. The success and failure of one family member was the success and failure of the family as a whole. It only took one mistake, and Toji had been the one to make it.

It had been six years since Toji had invested in a shipping and trading company with another man. The company had been successful, extremely so, and with the amount of surplus expected, Toji had convinced the rest of his family to invest in it as well. All had been well until his partner had double-crossed him, swindling him out of his and his family's share of the company. They were left with almost nothing.

Afraid to face the disappointment and wrath of the family, Toji had disappeared into the lower countries, aiming to live as unremarkably as possible in order to avoid discovery. He'd been successful until today. Today had started off like any other monotonous day, and he'd been expecting to spend his time smoking his pipe while ferrying another civilian across the bay.

Toji hadn't expected two boats filled to the brim with his estranged brothers. Only seven of them, so he supposed he was thankful to a certain degree. And he certainly hadn't expected the appearance of a fabled sea monster or that the nice looking young man he was ferrying was actually a shinobi in disguise.

Toji had always heard of the assassins of the shadows with strange abilities, but had never seen one until today. The blond man was not what Toji had imagined of a stereotypical ninja by any stretch of his imagination.

A harmless civilian, a crimson beast of hell, and a veritable god commanding the might of the heavens. Three completely contradicting natures. But then again, from what little Toji knew of shinobi, they were masters of disguise, so which aspect was the true nature of the blond man? Toji couldn't tell; he just hoped he survived. Something told him that those other shinobi wouldn't.

So even though he was scared out of his wits, Toji was glad his less-than-happy brothers were huddled together fearfully around him. If he died, it was with family, at least. For one long moment after the blond shinobi had raised a hand to the sky, Toji thought he was witnessing the destruction of the world, because the world went brilliantly white, and then it shook with an explosion of sound so great that he did not hear it, but instead felt it by the trembling marrow in his bones.

But shortly after, he began to feel a tingling sensation spread throughout his body. And then he could hear himself groan as the tingling became painful, and the choking smell of burnt flesh and ozone rushed through his nose and filled his lungs. Soon he began to see bright spots of colors, the brightest of which soon solidified into the form of the very shinobi he'd been musing about.

The blond shinobi was sighing, attempting to pat down his electrified hair while shifting his weight.

It was then Toji noticed the slack body of one of the other assassins tucked carelessly under the blond man's left arm. As if that was an invitation of sorts, Toji's eyes were suddenly drawn to the floating and charred bodies of the shinobi floating in the water. His nose scrunched as the smell of burning flesh seemed to double with a vengeance at the sight. However, the sea serpent was curiously absent….Toji froze in fear.

"Yeah, I guess you noticed, huh?" said the blond shinobi as he dumped the body he was holding into the boat beside Toji. The old man would have complained except that he was still too afraid to make any noise. The young man began to loop a rope through the holes meant for the oars and fastened a leash of sorts for the two boats. Then he proceeded to drag the boats behind him while walking on top of the water, like child dragging his sleigh in the snow.

"I got the other shinobi, but only managed to injure the monster. It's probably gone to lick its wounds, but it'll be back. That's why we need to get to shore. Besides, the air is still charged and the water is still ionized. You think that tingling sensation you have is painful, wait 'till you touch the water."

Toji shivered, imagining death by electrocution. Except for the occasional groans from the other old men, everything was silent as the group made its way to the shores of Fire Country.

* * *

Naruto stood with his arms crossed, staring at the unconscious Kumo-nin at his feet. Tilting his head this way and that, he contemplated just how he would go about extracting information. As he thought, he dug out some wire from his pouch and bound the kumo-nin to a sturdy tree. If the guy struggled, the wire would bite into his skin and Naruto would smell the blood instantly and know that he was trying to escape.

Having secured his captive, the blonde turned around and sat in a comfortable squat as he stared thoughtfully past the partial clearing, past the beach where he'd left the old men to lick their wounds, and out to the horizon.

'_What to do, what to do…'_

Shikamaru had turned out to be a surprisingly effective interrogator despite his laziness, out-boring his victims and causing meltdowns – _'Stop staring at me! Ask me questions, god dammit!' _- with his infuriating trademark "Mendokuse." Naruto brought up Shikamaru's attitude in his mind and tried to imitate the lazy eyes and slouching posture, with the slight hint of bothered annoyance.

He held it for a few moments. And then huffed with actual annoyance_. 'Gah, it takes more effort to be lazy. Besides, I can't out think people like he can.'_

Next, the blond recalled Ibiki's intimidating presence. The menacing eyes shrouded in darkness by his bandana, the aloof manner in which he described every little step and accompanying sensation to be caused by his next torture method – _'You see this thing here in my hands? It doesn't seem like much but it'll make your organs liquefy at a snails pace while you cry' _-, and the dark, anticipatory smirk on his scarred lips – _'I'm going to enjoy this, hehe'_ - as he approached you from the shadows…

'_Oh my god. …I'd piss myself before I even get a word out of the kumo-nin.'_

There was still Anko…Voluptuous body oozing sex and danger, low husky voice – _'kukuku'_ -wicked, wicked tongue, narrowed, coy eyes with a manic gleam, hinting at something so pleasurably painful… And then a flash of light and kunai to the crotch – _'Kyahahaha, scream for me, bitch!'_ – and pain, pain, pain!

"Ahhhhh~!" Naruto let out a horrified scream as he fell back on his butt, hands clasped protectively over his manhood.

By the time Naruto had gathered his wits again, his patience with himself ran out and he decided to wing it. After all, he knew he had no skill in interrogating. So he fell back to basics: the crude method of bullying. It probably wasn't as psychologically damaging or even as physically painful as true torture methods, but Naruto figured that if he kept trying something would give eventually. Nodding decisively, he sprang up from the ground and turned to face the kumo-nin with his usual care-free smile.

"So- "

"You shouldn't even bother," the kumo-nin half-heartedly sneered, wary of pulling too much on the burnt side of his face. "I won't tell you anything." The man glared, light gray eyes flashing with contempt and fear, though the effect was lost since his hair was frazzled in a strange, brown poof about his head.

Naruto opened and closed his mouth a few times, before tilting his head in a thoughtful manner, guileless eyes boring into his captive. The kumo-nin twitched.

"Hmm, you're right," Naruto declared, seemingly unbothered by his conclusion. The kumo-nin snorted, turning his face away with an obvious air of condescendence.

"Well," the blond sheepishly smiled, "I don't know any interrogation techniques, so the only thing I can do is ask and hope that you answer." Naruto shrugged and then comfortably crouched before his captive.

"What?" the kumo-nin asked incredulously. "As if I'd ever ans-"

"So, what's your name?" Naruto asked, ignoring the other man. The blond smiled pleasantly as the kumo-nin grit his teeth, determined not to say anything yet irked that he was cut off.

Pregnant silence reigned for a long while.

The muscle twitch in the kumo-nin's cheek was more pronounced and he became increasingly rankled as his captor continued to smile, his large blue eyes fixed on him, as if the blond really expected him to answer.

Finally, the kumo-nin's pride wrestled a response from his lips, "I'm not going to ans-"

Naruto punched the other man in the face, his smiling never faltering as his captive howled more with indignation than with pain. The blond waited patiently for the man to quit his angry mutterings and focus on him again or, at least, stare mistrustfully at the blond's fist.

"So, what's your name?" Naruto chirped. The kumo-nin's face went an interesting shade of puce as he sputtered.

"You-"

Naruto punched him again, harder this time, and with an even bigger smile. The kumo-nin's howl was noticeably louder, joined with colorful expletives. Once again, Naruto waited for the kumo-nin to quiet down.

The kumo-nin hissed, scrunching up his face as he tried to judge how much damaged had been dealt. His face was partially burnt, he now had a broken nose, and his lips were split in three places. He glared at his captor, still resting comfortably on his haunches with that damnable smile on his face, acting as if he wasn't torturing someone for information. Che, if the blond was any good, the kumo-nin thought, then he would know by now that his captive wasn't going to answer the question and would try another.

"So, what's your name?" Or not. The kumo-nin growled. He was being cow-towed by a fool of shinobi that couldn't even interrogate properly. This was completely undignified!

"Go to He-"

Naruto punched the kumo-nin harder still and was rewarded with a sickening crack. This time the howl was broken with half-chocked sobs. The kumo-nin was just damn pitiable now as a broken cheek bone was added to his list of injuries.

"So, what's your name?" This time the kumo-nin didn't bother resisting.

"Hitaka," he wheezed through his clenched teeth. Naruto gave an encouraging smile and a small pat to the kumo-nin's shoulder in reply.

"Good. Now, my good man, Hitaka, let's get to the actual questions." Hitaka stared.

"Tha-that wasn't a question?"

"Of course not," the blond waved a hand negligently. "What your name is hardly matters. I need to know your mission and stuff. For the purposes of the interrogation I could've called you 'fishsticks' and you would've eventually learned to reply to it. But, heh, I like to take a personal approach with my captives. After all, it'd be sad if you just faded away in obscurity as 'the man I tortured.' Ya know?" Naruto paused to crack his knuckles. "The hits till now were just love taps. It's time we both got serious, ne?" Blue eyes turned sly and hard.

Hitaka shuddered but resolutely shut his mouth, his bleeding lips pressed into a thin line. Naruto clucked his tongue in exasperation.

"Well, if that's the way it's going to be, let the beating commence." The blond let his fist fly towards his captive, ignoring the man's whimper.

Unnoticed by either shinobi, the old fisher men stared in horrified fascination.

* * *

Quarrel forgotten in light of the rather surreal situation – the unexpected family reunion, the boat chase, the sea monster, the shinobi, the world nearly ending, the interrogation, _by god_, the _shinobi_ – the old men were uncharacteristically but understandably silent. Though all the old men were suffering from overexposure to the fantastical, Toji retained a bit more cognitive ability than his brothers and used the tense but peaceful silence wisely, going over the day's events in his mind.

By all accounts, he had just lived through what amounted to a fairy tale. And the hero was here before him, golden hair alight in the sun, crouched menacingly before the minion of his enemy and beating the snot out of him. The young hero was undoubtedly working valiantly to save his country and king and the minion had the vital information needed to thwart his nemesis' plans, and – a princess! Yes, there was assuredly a princess, the love of the young hero's life that needed to be saved!

Toji felt awe suffuse him; he was a part of the tale, too! He and his brothers, the persecuted peasants in need of assistance – a side quest! What good fortune, Toji thought. The shinobi could fix his financial blunder and contract a side quest at the same time. After all, what well-rounded hero didn't stop for side quests to assist the poor? And here was Toji's chance, for the blond man was stalking back out onto the beach, his expression appropriately grim and filled with righteous determination.

"Young hero-" Toji called out and stumbled in his haste, kicking up clumps of wet sand, hands stretched out imploringly before him. "Young hero-" the blond's face scrunched, "-er, Shinobi-san!" Said shinobi raised a fine brow and waited for the old man to reach him.

"Yes?"

"Would-wouldst you-er…thou assis' the-the mos' unfairly impugned-" Toji stuttered, doing his best to convey his most humble plea for the hero's aid, but the shinobi's brows merely bunched in confusion.

"What?"

"You-Dost aid thou in a ques', to assis' me broth-er, brethren, to rescue yer-thy fine lass-er, princess-"

"Princess?!" The blond's eyes went round with shock. Now even Toji's brothers watched avidly at the outburst.

"Er, Lady?"

"What lady?"

"Yer Lady Love?"

"Lady love?" The shinobi repeated dumbly.

"Yes, thy lover."

"Oh!" The blond's face cleared with understanding. "You mean Kakashi?" Just as instantly his expression closed off and became suspicious. "How do you know about Kakashi?"

I don't, but Kakashi is a very strange name for a Lady, Toji bemusedly thought. "Er, I don' know thy lover, m'lord, only tha' thou mus' 'ave a wondrous love awaitin' thee-" Toji stopped as the blond man cut him off with an agitated wave of his hand.

"Okay, just-just stop for a second. Stop calling me 'hero' and 'lord'. My name is Zokutou Sansai, and for kami-sake, speak normally." Sansai pinched the rise between his brows, warding away a headache.

"Sorry abou' that, Zokutou-san. Was jus' tryin' t'be curteous," Toji replied meekly.

"Uh-huh," the blond nodded with a doubtful look on his face. "So, what was all that babble about?"

"It-well-er…" Toji paused then reluctantly turned towards his huddled brothers. "You migh' as well come 'ere and listen, too." The other men glanced at one another and ambled over, willing to set aside their differences in face of this strange turn of events. Toji sighed, wringing his hands as he began to explain. "You see, Zokutou-san, me brothers an' I, we be a large family an' I made a mistake years ago trustin' some no good outsider with me family's fortune. He swindled me out'a me fair share and ruined the lot of us. So, I was hopin' you'do a noble thin' an' thrash the man an' his grunts fer us."

Toji's brothers 'oohed' with sudden understanding, giving hearty slaps to their estranged brother's back, both in apology and encouragement. Sansai watched the strange family interaction quietly before speaking.

"So, you want to hire me?" A sheepish and strained smile stole across Toji's face.

"Well, more like I was hopin' you'do a side quest?" Sansai's brows scrunched once again.

"What, like some hero?"

"Er, yes?" Toji replied tentatively. The blond shinobi groaned, smacking his face with his palm.

"Look, old man, I'm no hero. Seems like my jutsu fried more than just the snake and the other shinobi," Sansai looked up to see the collective faces of all the brothers falling into despair and had to turn away before getting sucked into the sudden hole of depression. He gave a gusty sigh. "I'm sorry, really, but I can't afford any side quests right now. And even if I had time, I'm not for individual hire. You'd have to go through the mission request office at Konohagakure." With one last apologetic glance he strode away.

"Wait! Please! I'll reward you somehow! Somehow!" Toji desperately pleaded. Even if Zokutou Sansai wasn't a hero, he was the closest to it Toji would ever get. He just had to secure this man's services. He had to. It was his family's only hope. Toji was just an old man and his family was all civilian. There was no way they could even dare to oppose Sakamoto and his entire criminal empire. But if Sakamoto, at least Sakamoto was out of the way…! Toji made one last desperate bid. "Jus', jus' get rid of Sakamoto an' we'll deal with Gato an' his goons on our own!"

The blond's head swiveled around so quickly that Toji felt a phantom sensation of whip-lash and was startled into silence. He waited anxiously for the shinobi to say something as blue eyes drilled into him.

"Gato, you said?"

Toji seized upon the shinobi's interest shamelessly. "Yes! Gato, a connivin', no-good back-stabbin' little troll! Jus' like his partner! He handles all of Sakamoto's employees an' makes sure the merchants use his company ships."

"Saa, so this is how it began…" the blond muttered to himself. He absently rubbed his chin in thought, a sudden liveliness compelling him to walk rapidly back and forth, infecting Toji and his brothers with a nervous, anxious energy, wondering whether they had finally turned the tide in their favor. Just as suddenly as he started, the blond stopped and the old men held their breaths. They winced at the hideously loud cracking sound of the shinobi cracking his neck.

Then, slowly, Sansai turned towards them, his expression dark but his eyes glowing with scheming anticipation.

"I have several conditions."

Toji grinned fiercely.

* * *

And that was why Naruto was currently speeding through the forest, cursing his inner child for succumbing to the temptation of pre-emptive payback. He really did have more pressing matters to attend. From Hitaka he'd discovered that Kumogakure had several small encampments around Wave Country shores, waiting for ally signals to attack Konoha from behind. And compared to the danger of the enemy ambush upon his home, Gato was only a cruel tyrant who starved a poor nation and killed his would be first friend…actually, his inner child had done right Naruto reflected and gave himself an imaginary pat on the back.

Besides, fulfilling Toji's request wasn't completely out of his way since he was heading towards Wave anyways. Even so, the blond thought ruefully, he was on the path of becoming the "young hero" he denied being by taking a side quest to help poor peasants, all the while moving towards fulfilling his ultimate goal of serving Village and Kage by destroying minion forces.

'_Che,'_ Naruto scoffed. _'Yeah, I'm a regular Prince Charming with my very own princess.'_ Though said princess was still a snot-nosed little kid that was most definitely _not_ waiting to be rescued and was likely on a mission slaughtering enemy nin.

'_Discord and strife love me, but I'm the moron who voluntarily stuck the prickly spur on his own ass,'_ Naruto lamented. Absently, he twisted in mid-air while jumping to another branch, neatly avoiding a barrage of kunai while retaliating with his own. He didn't even need to check to know it was a kill, his senses so finely tuned by a heady rush of adrenaline. That was the fifth attack since Naruto had departed from the old men, and each one he dealt with in a rather mundane manner – silent, quick kills without needlessly expending chakra. The blond had already learned during his own war to discard flashy moves and attacks when the only purpose was to kill.

The encounters were occurring with less time in between, meaning he was coming up shortly to his destination, one of the three Kumo camps Hitaka had said would be there. Each one was supposed to have around 30 nin; usually a distribution of 10-15 jounin and the rest chuunin, unless there were some unlucky genin tossed to the wolves to play war. Of course, he knew that some genin weren't helpless at all; some could be dangerous, like Gaara, Sasori, Zabuza, Haku and Kabuto. But in the end, children were still children, and they were only as dangerous as one allowed them to be; underestimation and mercy allowed them to best grown nin without warning.

A flicker of chakra on the edges of his senses caused Naruto to freeze high in the canopy of the forest where what little light shone through would blind those who looked up. Cautiously he gazed down, looking for ninja playing hide-a-way within the shadows. _'There,'_ he thought as his nostrils flared upon finding his prey. There was more than one nin, three positioned in a near half circle, most likely the last sentries before the base proper. He killed them without trouble and hid their bodies; this close to the base he couldn't leave the bodies as they were, since someone with a keen nose might detect all the spilt blood.

Twice he circled around the camp, noting several things – entry and exit points, the main tent, supply tent, the established chain of command, and the chore rotations – before finally settling down in a chosen position to plan his infiltration. He didn't have much time if he wanted to destroy all three Kumo camps and deal with Gato and his partner. So, despite how carefully he had made his way to the camp itself, he was going to have to resort to using excessive, if a bit flashy, force to completely annihilate the enemy nin. By etching seals into the trunks of trees along the perimeter, the blond had already established a "cage" of sorts in order to keep the Kumo-nin within his attack range.

It was just as he was about to launch himself into the encampment in a flurry of jutsu – after having secured his weapons and the familiar ANBU fox mask upon his face - that he noticed that something was off. It was happening slowly, but one after another Kumo nin on the opposite edge of the camp from him were dropping like string-less puppets. Naruto watched suspiciously, eyes trained on the fallen bodies as a flash of metal caught his attention. _'Oho, someone's taking pot-shots at the bastards.'_ He looked up from his fallen enemies to the tree-line opposite of him and the camp, making out a dark outline of another person carefully hidden with the foliage. _'So, there's someone besides me who's after the Kumo-nin. Is it a Konoha-nin though?'_

Suddenly, the person catapulted out of the trees and into the camp, weaving in and out of Kumo nin who were just starting to realize the imminent danger. Angry and surprised shouts filled the air but the figure was not deterred, quickly and deftly dispatching opponents. The Kumo nin fought back but their punches and kicks missed their target and Naruto began to realize it was less because of the their incompetence and more because the opponent was so small – barely past most men's waists, small enough that most nin couldn't fight back once the figure got within the boundary of their own limbs. _'A child,'_ Naruto appraised and he continued to watch, breath abated in fascination.

The blond kept his eyes trained on the quicksilver little sprite flickering in and out of sight, always in motion except for the brief moments of dead-locked clashes of kunai and sparking metal. Clad in dark navy blue from head to toe, Naruto could only see small glimpses of skin on the hands, wrists, and ankles of the child, whose head and face were covered by a hood.

Genderless on the surface, there was something rigid, something mechanical about the child's movements that suggested not only relentless training but a childish arrogance of invulnerability that lead Naruto to believe the child was male. A boy, suffuse with the jaded impression that he was all grown up having seen the depravity of men, and playing a man's game by a mistaken child's rules.

So Naruto watched over the boy, each physical clash causing a bit of anxiety and anticipation to build up in the blond's chest. A child could hold no contest against a full grown man in a physical stand-off, and each clash was just one more possible mistake – one more window of opportunity for a Kumo-nin to exert his strength and overpower the child. Naruto would have liked to scold the little nin, _'Stupid brat, get away, get away'_ for his brash actions, yet remained quiet lest he distract the boy and lead him to his death.

And then, the moment he dreaded began to unfold. A kumo-nin purposefully attacked head-on, forcing a battle of strength upon the little nin, and from the side another kumo-nin unleashed a douton-jutsu upon them both, a tidal wave of earth bearing down with a grumbling roar of mud and rocks. Naruto could see the moment the child realized his own folly, head jerking up in momentary panic, unable to flee and unable to best his opponent.

But then the little nin regained his calm, and Naruto decided this would be the moment the child would learn whether he could survive in a grown man's world. So against his own inclinations, the blond forced himself to stay aside and watch as the earth swallowed them both.

The world held its breath as everyone knowingly or not awaited some sign of victory or loss. But the earth remained even and undisturbed through the quiet. A kumo-nin clutching his bleeding forearm straightened up, a triumphant exhalation of breath breaking the silence. Others followed his example, slowly uncoiling the tension within their bodies and looking at one another in commiserating relief.

'_You fools,'_ the blond thought as he remained vigilant, watching the Kumo nin congratulate themselves for not having died at the hands of a single, child assailant. _'It's not over.'_

A man's panicked scream rent the air, and the Kumo nin snapped back into tense positions, looking frantically around to find their screaming comrade and his source of fear, yet neither could be found. So they watched one another, frozen with indecision as the scream continued to sound, a disembodied phantom of terror until it died in a strangled gurgle, leaving the clearing eerily bereft of any sound except their own cautious breathing.

'_There!'_ Naruto's eyes zeroed in on a flash of silver, and both he and the Kumo nin stared in bizarre fascination as wires spooled down from the trees like a double helix of drifting spider silk. And just as deadly, they entangled the intended victim in a deceptively frail looking net before pulling deathly taught and rending a kumo-nin into a splatter of body parts and blood.

Descending head first from the trees into the center of the blood-mist was the little nin, bruised and bleeding but alive. The boy's clothes were muddied; his head and face partially exposed by the now torn hood, and Naruto got his first glimpse of the child's face. Haphazard hair – color-less silver like the fur of polar bears in Snow Country-, eyes – opaque, gray-slated cobalt – and pale, still chubby cheeks flushed a delicate pink with exertion.

Something thudded loudly in Naruto's chest, like an anvil falling to the pit of his stomach and crushing his heart beneath it. Then, as if spurred by some internal explosion, blood rushed through his body but the blond was paralyzed, watching the world move on in a blur of sound and movement. And all Naruto could think was that he _knew_ the child. Knew in a way so intimate and intrinsic of himself that there was simply no way for him to consciously describe it, and all he could think was, _'It's him, it's him, it's him!'_

So when the boy was blindsided by a kick to the face and his fragile head snapped back, and he staggered, falling to his little knees while waving a kunai uselessly to ward off attacks he couldn't see through unfocused eyes, Naruto _moved_.

* * *

Jirou grinned savagely. He was strong, he always had been due to his larger muscle mass, able to easily crush shinobi weaker than he. And he wasn't stupid either; he knew most people thought he was physically slow due to his size and prejudice lent the belief he was slow in the head, too, but he was smarter than that. He didn't complain, he worked hard and was faster than someone his size should be. So when the camp was attacked – by a kid, a stupid fucking kid – it hurt his pride badly, because he'd bested grown men up to this point and he'd be damned before he lost to this brat.

So while Kaga – the poor bastard – was literally falling apart after that wire stunt, Jirou wasted no time going on the offensive. He slammed a foot into the brat's face just as his feet reached the forest floor and felt no guilt, even knowing that his leg alone out-massed the kid. And just when he was about to let loose a bark of laughter, there was suddenly no air to draw in and make the sound, because in the space of a heartbeat, a flicker, there was suddenly something _there_ in front of him, a colossal being of strength and danger that ruthlessly suppressed him with nothing but its presence.

When Jirou had gathered his scattered wits, he noted in passing that he was no longer standing but sprawled on the ground, and he fought the humiliating urge to crawl backwards as he forced his eyes to look up to see his attacker. Jirou was a proud man, a jounin, but when his eyes locked onto his assailant he no longer felt like a man, or perhaps, he felt too much like a man – a helpless man – in the maw of something terrifying and inhuman.

Before him was a being that his eyes said was a man – just another masked shinobi, probably from Konoha - but his instincts begged him to flee, because the man did not seem like a man, crouched low to the ground, tense and so very angry that his existence towered over the large kumo-nin sprawled before him.

Blue eyes glowed through slits of an animal masked painted with dark, violent colors of a lupine snarl, and bore into Jirou, whose thick frame was swathed with sweat and the stink of fear. The kumo-nin trembled, eyes wide and hands trembling towards his thigh to reach futilely for a weapon. His fingers fumbled around a shuriken and he swallowed, the sound enormous to his ears.

And still the shinobi just watched, and Jirou imagined that underneath the mask was an even more terrifying visage. A bubble of hysteria clogged the kumo-nin's throat. How humorous, he thought, that a demon was using a human-made demon mask to play among the humans. And suddenly Jirou felt that he would burst with the intensity of his emotions, fear and hatred warring against each other as he spied the boy – it was all his fault! - cradled safely against the demon-man's chest. Jirou could see the same struggle taking place within his comrades; some had already succumbed, fear having overwhelmed the anger and leaving them as impotent, useless cannon-fodder.

The man's aura commanded obedience; that all the Kumo nin cease and desist; no, just cease to exist. But the eyes, the eyes demanded they attack him and attack him _now_, not because it was a sign of weakness but because he wanted them gone and the quicker they moved the quicker he could kill them. And something in those glowing eyes said they did not want to _disappoint_.

So Jirou charged in a fit of hysteria because he had to do _something_, armed with only the knowledge that he was going to die clear in his mind. He didn't even see the attack; he only felt as if something invisible but burning had torn through his chest, flinging him away like a rag doll across the camp. And as his vision faded to black he felt profound regret – shinobi always died with regrets - but no shame, because someone like his killer wouldn't care if his dead prey had been manly or not.

And none of the other Kumo nin would be walking away to rat out his cowardice anyways.

* * *

'_Hurry up!'_ Naruto scowled beneath his mask, willing the Kumo nin to attack. The sooner he got rid of them the sooner he could focus on the boy in his arms, still dazed from being kicked, yet refusing to relax even in the arms of his apparent savior, and the blond couldn't help but feel pride at what a good little shinobi the child was.

The large kumo-nin on the ground in front of him leapt up and attacked with a bellow of rage, and the others followed his example as if galvanized by their comrade's kamikaze attack. No plan, no defense maneuvers, no hope of survival; merely facing death in the face.

Naruto obliged by unfurling the iron-control on his raging chakra, letting it strike out violently and wantonly at anything that approached. They screamed, flung about by an invisible force, like the turbulent winds of a maelstrom where only he and the boy were safe in the eye of the storm. The blond watched conversely with a dispassionate air, unmoving until he felt the child shift, his gray hair – still soft with youth but smelling of blood – tickling the underside of Naruto's chin.

He looked down and his gaze locked with a pair of questioning, gray-slated eyes, dark and unfocused. Naruto could hardly breathe as they searched what little could be seen of the blond; his hair, his mask, his eyes but offered no verdict or inkling as to his thoughts. And throughout it all the Kumo nin kept screaming and dying. The child's eyes flicked from the camp back to the man holding him, and silently, slowly began to relax.

Naruto kept staring and the boy stared back. The blond was anxious and giddy and full of disbelief and he wondered if any of it showed. He wanted to do a great number of things - say the child's name, embrace him fiercely and never let go, to cry into his hair with relief because he was just so happy but also brimming with fear because it was just too soon and he wasn't ready, and he had no idea what he should do - and...it just hurt, really, really hurt. Hurt to be so near and unable to do anything.

_'It really is too soon.'_ Naruto thought sadly.

So he settled on cautiously – so as not to alarm the boy – using his free hand to gently card through the child's untamable mop, covertly indulging in the contact while checking for further injury. Satisfied that there was nothing life-threatening, the blond reluctantly withdrew his hand and slowly set the boy down on his own two feet, gave him a cursory check-up with a quick glance and then somehow managed to pull himself away and step back.

The child wavered for a split second before pride and training straightened his back so that he stood ready, expression resolute even covered with dirt and blood and a flapping, torn piece of cloth that barely did more than cover the right side of his jaw. For a moment, Naruto admired the child's control but wondered at the strangely docile behavior. He wasn't about to complain, however. He motioned with a hand for the boy to _stay_ and _rest_ and wasn't surprised when he received a curt nod in response, despite the fact he used ANBU code and a child shouldn't have known it - but, of course, _he'd_ know it, the blond thought ruefully and with great affection.

Then Naruto let training take over. He turned and walked out from the center of the camp in a circular path, killing off any wounded but alive Kumo nin in his search. After confirming there were none alive but he and the child within the camp, the blond searched through the main tent for information and any scrolls that may prove useful. Once that was done, he set everything ablaze - the heat and fumes spreading like lightning - and made his way back to the child awaiting his return.

The child watched as Naruto approached, back still ramrod straight though his shoulders were strained, his small hands clenched into fists, and trying to look like he was prepared for anything even though the blond could tell a small breeze would be enough to knock the boy over. By the time Naruto had gotten within arms distance of the boy, his thoughts had marginally calmed, and he finally allowed himself to name the boy and acknowledge his inevitable role in the blond's life.

Some part of Naruto was at peace, so very much relieved that he was seeing and had held a dead loved one seemingly brought back to life. And the other part of him ached fiercely for things past and things to come, because he knew nothing was going to be easy after this point.

And the boy himself would certainly be of no help._ 'This is so not fair. Why'd Kakashi have to be such a cute little bugger?' _Some of his internal whining must have shone through somehow, because the boy's eyes narrowed in question and a glimmer in them told the blond he would be demanding answers very soon. Naruto held back a sigh.

'_It seems I've rescued my princess after all.'

* * *

  
_

**End of "Rekindling the Fire"**

**Part B

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**AN:** Wow, finally an update after 3 years…I hope it lived up to expectations. My writing style has been going through a change, too.

I apologize profusely for having made everyone wait so long. I promise there will never be such a big gap between updates ever again. I've been able to flesh out the plot with the help of several people, **AbeoUmbra, MysteryLady-Tx**, and my very lovely-sweetheart, **Zhang Sizheng**. Thank you so much!

I will also be posting several other fics soon, some of which I have previewed brief summaries in my profile. The next one most likely to be posted is an XXXholic/Naruto crossover. I hope you stick around to read and review!

That having been said, **please, please review!** Leave a comment about what you liked and what you disliked. Maybe what you'd like to see/read more of and any questions that need clarification. Advice and encouragment is always appreciated!

Have a Great New Year!

Sincerely,

Falling Right Side-Up

**AN:** This is a preview of one of the new fics I am planning to post, a Drama centered XXXholic/Naruto fic. It's a change in writing style and it may not even be an official part of the new fic, but I wanted everyone to see it and give me some feedback. Enjoy~!

* * *

**The Wish**

By: Falling Right Side-Up

Prologue

* * *

"**Wishes…Surely, if you keep wishing, they'll come true. That's how strong the power of people's wishing is. But for everything you desire, you have to pay an equal price in return. You can't get more nor give more. Can't be more or less…all must be in balance. Or else, they'll be 'mishaps.' Whether it's to a person's physical self, or the hidden fates, or spirits from another world."

* * *

  
**

_Imbalance._

A stray wind interrupts the calm of the summer night, bursting suddenly and strongly through the trees of the deserted Zen garden. Just as quickly the winds are quiet and the world is still, but change has already begun. Through deceptively frail, decorative shoji screens, walls of concrete, and layers and layers of unseen protections, the ripples have already spread deep. Ringing silently until the message reaches deep into the center of the compound where there is a chamber.

It is dark, the air thick and choking with incense. Wisps of smoke play, curling, swaying, striking out. An otherworldly domain of mystery, with a heavy presence resting in its midst, beckoning come hither.

_Uneasiness. _

The chamber is sealed. There is no wind, yet the incense and candles snuff out as swiftly as if someone has wetted the lick of the flames all at the same instant. There is movement. Slow and weary, a weight of burden dragging down beyond the physical senses. Protective amulets and chains clink against each other, accompanied by the soft sound of ruffling silk. Endless black hair pools down, tangling in pale fingers adorned with hand ornaments, fingers capped with delicate but cruel, ornamental gold claws. Eyes of red-wine open, looking beyond the darkness of the chamber. Silent and waiting.

_Sorrow._

Outside, the world holds its breath. In the Zen garden, the crack of the bamboo shishi-odoshi disturbs the quiet as the fountain fills with water and tips over, water flowing into the basin of the tsukubai. A branch snaps from a sacred tree, the sound sharp and painful. The shimenawa around its trunk unravels and the white gohei flutter to the ground. A ward is broken. Wine-colored eyes close and do not open.

_Acceptance._

The branch drifts along a nonexistent breeze into the Koi pond, floating, shining with water droplets. They are red, red like the light of the crimson moon. Finally, the branch sinks and ripples distort the images on the water's surface so that only the red, the red of the ill omen, can be seen.

* * *

A man.

It is night, but it is not peaceful. Nervous, fearful energy is felt everywhere by every animal, man, woman and child, though they do not know the cause. Only one man knows and he is in a dark secluded office, reading ancient scriptures by the light of a single dying candle. He's been hunched over in that chair reading the scroll for three days, knowing he won't find an answer. But it's his duty and so he continues even though his mouth is parched, his lips are cracked and bleeding, his eyesight failing from strain, and everything is useless, useless, useless.

He knows that since the beginning there has only been one solution. A solution that leads to outcome he has been trying with all his might and soul to prevent.

He wonders if it is fate.

The man stands up stiffly from his chair and walks to the window but does not see the view. Instead, he sees his loved ones and all the people depending on him. And he thinks of the innocent life he is going to condemn. He wonders what life will be like for that innocent who has no choice but the one he is going to bestow.

He wonders if that is the child's destiny.

Finally his mind clears and he sees the world ahead. Towards the edge of the horizon the sky is crimson, its color so vivid that its shine reaches even to the window in which the man is standing. It is not the moon. And it is not the dawn.

The man's form sags and he falls, sliding down so that he is seated beneath the window. Drawing his knees up, he buries his face in trembling hands, filled with bitter acceptance and despair. His entire body shakes.

He curses the gods, then begs, then cries.

And finally when his body is too exhausted to tremble and his heart too weary to plead, he stops. His hands have already fallen away some time ago, resting limply in his lap. When he lifts his head he sees that his office is bathed in angry crimson light, tainting and distorting his shadow across the floor.

He is exhausted in mind and body, but his soul cries out one last time before it, too, falls silent.

Someone far away hears it.

A Wish.

* * *

A woman.

She is uncharacteristically still while lying in the hospital bed, one hand gently gliding over her rounded stomach and the other twisted tightly in the sheets. It's early morning, but she doesn't have to look outside the window beside her to know that it's not the sun that's shining.

Biting her lower lip and hunching over, she stifles a pained gasp and whispers to the little life within her to please, please just wait a little longer. Just a little longer, because she knows that once she's given birth, she won't ever see that precious child again. She just knows. A premonition perhaps, triggered by the intense shroud of danger hovering over the village and the future of her family.

She knows that child-birth comes with a certain amount of pain. Tom-boy she may be, but she's a shinobi and well prepared for any trial she may face. As a killer, a lover, a woman, and a mother.

But somehow, no amount of preparation has given her any idea of what to do now. What do you do when your duty requires you to damn those most precious to you? In battle, certainly, the answer is clear. But now?

It all seems so unfair. To survive the destruction of her birth-land, to overcome the trials of war and prejudice, only to succumb to this strange, colossal force of malevolent nature, razing countless lives down in its path. Is life really this cruel, she wonders, because she knows no mere human can even put up a fight against this approaching herald of death.

It's even more unfair, because she knows she won't die out there defending her home with her lover. Instead she'll be in this hospital room, screaming while giving birth before fading away in delirium. And her last consolation will be hearing the echoing scream of her child, announcing his entry into the world and foreshadowing the anguish he will soon face without the protection of his mother and father.

This time, she gasps with an altogether different pain, breath short and ragged as she clutches her heart. Hot, bitter tears pour down her face, dripping onto her stomach and she imagines her child is soaking in her sorrow on top of his own and this causes her to cry harder.

She's a shinobi. Well-prepared to face any trials in her path. But she still doesn't know what to do now. If there is anything she can do. Shinobi rely on skills, on facts and logical possibilities. Luck, prayer, and superstition will get you killed, but she allows herself this momentary weakness to plead to anything, anyone, anywhere.

Please, please protect my child.

It's futile, she thinks, because if higher powers did exist she wouldn't be in this situation to begin with.

But someone far away doesn't think it's so futile.

A Wish.

_...to be continued.

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AN: So, like it? Hate it? It's an experiment. I wonder if you got who the three people were. Feedback, please!


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